


Shards of a Broken Mirror

by KitKatKamisa



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - School, Anger, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blank Slate, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Broken, Confusion, Crying, Dark Past, Emotionless, Expressionless, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy Moments before Angst, Happy Ending, I repeat, Issues, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mentions of Suicide, Multi, Mute - Freeform, Muteness, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sad, Sad and Happy, Scars, Self Confidence Issues, THERE ARE TRIGGERING EVENTS AND SCENES IN THIS STORY, THERE WILL BE TRIGGERING THINGS!, Trust Issues, Violence, Worry, You Have Been Warned, be warned, dark angst, fears, kind of slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:48:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27608537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitKatKamisa/pseuds/KitKatKamisa
Summary: Everything was a blur. It all melded together in a work of pain and loss. Memories clawing for escape. Scars old and new.Broken hardships. Broken families. Gone ablaze in a fire from hell. Pulling down. Crushing, snapping, tearing, shattering.What else did he have to lose?
Relationships: Akamatsu Kaede & Harukawa Maki & Momota Kaito & Saihara Shuichi, Akamatsu Kaede & Saihara Shuichi, Amami Rantaro & K1-B0 & Oma Kokichi & Saihara Shuichi, Amami Rantaro & Saihara Shuichi, Harukawa Maki & Saihara Shuichi, K1-B0 & Saihara Shuichi, Momota Kaito & Saihara Shuichi, Oma Kokichi & Saihara Shuichi, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Saihara Shuichi & Everyone
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	1. Start of the Fall

_'̶U̶s̶e̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶b̶a̶g̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶p̶a̶c̶e̶.̶'̶ ̶_

Slow, silent steps walk an empty trail, devoid of any light or presence. 

_'̶S̶p̶o̶i̶l̶e̶d̶ ̶b̶r̶a̶t̶.̶'̶ ̶'̶ ̶H̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶.̶'̶ ̶_

Gripping tighter and tighter, fingers curling into his skin. Nails piercing through skin, drawing pinpricks of blood. 

_'̶H̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶w̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶t̶r̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶e̶n̶y̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶.̶'̶ ̶'̶H̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶i̶l̶t̶h̶y̶ ̶l̶i̶a̶r̶.̶'̶ ̶'̶H̶e̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶g̶o̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶d̶i̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶e̶.̶'̶ ̶_

Eyes clenched shut, tears threatening to fall. His footsteps, slow and quite, seemed to echo in the deafening silence. His feet dragged across the ground, staggering with each tiny step he made. He just needed to get home. Long and dreary, the night seemed to stretch on and on, filling the empty void with the crescent moon's glow. However, this fact couldn't stop the inevitable fate that bestowed his life. 

_'̶D̶i̶d̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶?̶'̶ ̶_

Lost in thought, he didn't feel the sudden change in temperature the nearer he came. 

_'̶W̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶e̶d̶?̶'̶ ̶'̶I̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶s̶p̶o̶i̶l̶e̶d̶ ̶r̶i̶c̶h̶ ̶k̶i̶d̶.̶'̶ ̶_

Heart thumping, head pounding, ears ringing, eyes twitching, body trembling. He felt bare, scared, yet didn't know why. But he came to a halt, the bright and hot embers of red, orange and yellow flickering past his quivering legs. 

_'̶I̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶t̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶h̶o̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶e̶.̶'̶ ̶'̶N̶o̶ ̶w̶a̶y̶!̶'̶ ̶'̶I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶.̶'̶ ̶'̶S̶e̶r̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶.̶'̶ ̶_

His eyes trailed up, widening with each passing second as he gazed upon the sputtering flames engulfing what he once called his home. 

_'̶H̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶.̶’̶ ̶‘̶H̶e̶’̶s̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶u̶n̶g̶r̶a̶t̶e̶f̶u̶l̶ ̶p̶e̶s̶t̶.̶’̶ ̶‘̶A̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶r̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶s̶i̶d̶e̶s̶.̶’̶ ̶‘̶H̶e̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶’̶v̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶r̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶l̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶h̶o̶u̶s̶e̶.̶’̶ ̶_

Gasping, clenching his chest, tears pooling out of his eyes, heart pumping in rapid succession. He didn’t know what he was seeing. He didn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. But it wasn’t a lie. It was all gone. Everything he had was gone. In the blink of an eye, engulfed in a flaming ablaze. Everything gone. 

_‘̶H̶e̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶’̶v̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶e̶d̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶t̶h̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶f̶a̶m̶i̶l̶y̶.̶’̶ ̶_

  
~=~=~=~=~=~=~ 

Saihara Shuichi was born to a wealthy family, and was raised as such. However, he never wanted to be part of his family due to their history. He felt… burdened. Burdened and ashamed of himself. He gave into his family’s needs and commands. He gave into their lectures and training. He gave into the food prepared by their personal maids. He gave into everything. Yet he never wanted to. 

Saihara Shuichi was a normal boy outside of his parents wealth. He went to an average school, yet studied so much he became top of the class. Yet he didn’t want to be. He felt… guilty. He felt pressured to be smart academically. He felt pressured by the stares of his classmates drilling holes into the back of his head. He felt pressured by the teachers praises. He felt pressured by many things. Yet he never wanted to. 

Saihara Shuichi was someone who his parents moulded him into. He wanted to be independent from his parents. He wanted to become someone who he himself could be proud of. He felt… detached. Detached from reality. He sought after his own sense of self. He sought after his own freedom. He sought after a dream he held close to his heart. He sought after a world that he could make his own, far away from the life his parents wanted him to live. He sought after few things. Yet never wanted to. 

Saihara Shuichi was a lonesome boy in a world of many. He sought out his own happiness away from others. He felt… calmed. His heart craved the sense of happiness. His heart craved the emotion of love. His heart craved the overwhelming sense of accomplishment. His heart craved the thought of a friend. His heart craved limited things. Yet he never wanted to. 

His soul wanted everything, yet he never wanted anything. 


	2. Sorrowful Shards

_Crack, bang, thud, slam_. The laughter became drowned out due to the pain that had blossomed. Bruising, bleeding, the pounding in his head echoed loud in his ears. Shuichi could barely control his shaking arms, trying with all his might to push himself up. Yet all that earned him was a kick to his chest, beating the breath out of his lungs as he collapsed once more. He gasped, grey eyes wide and heart skipping multiple beats as he became desperate for air. Blood soaked through his black blazer, through the now stained under shirt that stuck to his skin. Mocking laughter was barely heard, hands barely felt as they gripped his short, navy hair tightly and _pulled_. He felt his throat burn, desperate to cry out and beg for help. But he couldn't. A fist collided with his jaw, striking a new pressure of pain. Blood crawled up his dry, hoarse throat, the metallic taste making Shuichi gag, but he held it back. His eyes squinted, blurry, fuzzy, dilated and trying to focus. 

The sudden coldness of the floor brought back the pain in his chest and back. He coughed harshly, the blood he tried to hold back regurgitating and staining the dusty floor red. It burnt so much, and he wished, wanted to scream as loud as he could. He clenched his jaw, a voice in the back of his head whispering to him, ordering him to keep quiet, to not say a word, and to take this beating as his _punishment_ for trying to defy it. All he could do was silently whimper, clutching at his stomach as tears pricked his eyes. He tried to will them away, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself and bring about more pain. He barely even noticed that the bullies had started to laugh once more, before turning on their heels and walking off. As his consciousness slowly returned alongside the feeble strength his aching limbs obtained, he struggled to push himself up.

He felt the blaring pain as if fire roared through his veins. But he didn't at the same time. He was becoming numb. Numb to the pain that coursed through his aching bones. Shuichi huffed out a silent sigh as he crawled to his feet, pushing against the wall for balance. Once he had stabilised himself, he began his slow descent down the stairs. The day was coming to a close as students from each year filed out of the school. Only fourteen, yet he felt smaller, more cramped and slowly shrinking in every passing day, shrinking, shrinking, shrinking, spiralling down as he grew smaller and smaller and smaller still— 

He shook his head. His lips parted as the taste of blood suddenly became present. He swallowed, the metallic liquid scorching his throat as he breathed in sharply through his nose. The cracking of his bones did little to stop his movement, however small and minimal it was. Soon silence enveloped the school as the remaining ninth graders left for the day. Shuichi felt a sort of relief at that fact and let his body sag ever so slightly. Skidding his feet across the floor for what felt like hours, he finally found himself at the entrances of the school. He peeled his body off the wall and staggered to the lockers. Hastily punching in the pin code, he grabbed what little things resided inside as he swung his bag around to his feet. Shuichi stuffed the minimal amount of items inside his beaten and battered bag and hoisted it back over his shoulder, the weight a comforting and grounding presence to him. 

Closing the locker, Shuichi took in a deep breath and exhaled, feeling calmer as his whole body slowly became numb to the echoing pain. He slipped out of the entrance and started on his way home, mind buzzing with many thoughts, yet no thoughts at the same time. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence for him, so he wasn't bothered by it. Clouds started to grow heavier with each step he took, threatening to let loose and pour any second. However, there was a nagging part in Shuichi’s brain that wanted it to rain. He found it calming, peaceful, just watching the water run rivers and streams down the windows and pathways. 

Before he knew it, Shuichi had found himself outside his uncle’s house. He reached forward, the familiar smell of burning wood and smoke from the fireplace sent both shivers and a wave of calmness down his spine. He shook away the vivid image of fire in his head as he opened the door, making his presence known as it squeaked, piercing the echoing silence. He closed it softly behind him as he shuffled his black leather shoes off, noting the lack of his uncle’s shoes as he placed them down. He started to unbutton his navy blazer as his feet dragged him across the floor towards the stairs. Frail, trembling, bony fingers grasped the rail, heaving his heavy body up. Reaching his room, Shuichi started to ravage through his wardrobe for some comfortable clothing before closing it and urging his body to work with him. 

Like weights upon his feet and chains binding his arms and neck, his helpless body barely followed his command. Though it only took minutes, he felt like it took hours to finally reach the bathroom that lay dormant just mere metres down from his room. Opening, closing, locking, double checking, releasing the handle and stepping further inside the room. Shuichi placed his comfy clothes on the toilet seat as he began to strip himself of his uniform. Paper thin white material clung to his skin, from sweat or blood, Shuichi didn’t bother checking. He dumped his clothes in the washing basket and stepped in, turning the water on with greater effort then normally needed. Water, cold from the sudden start, drenched his body in a mere instant. As it ran, it turned red as it filtered into the drain. It drummed against his face and shoulders, relaxing the tenseness and aches that dully throbbed under his skin, soaking into his short, shoulder length navy hair. 

He let his mind wander as the water poured down like rain upon his broken body. His mind wandered to the book he was currently reading, trying to figure out the true criminal before the end. As he thought and thought, his mind suddenly changed to questioning whether he should study up some more in French, before deciding that he'd rather read. It continued to meander. To his music playlist, to the work that he needed to complete, to the bruises on his body, the cracks upon his bones, the blood that boiled beneath his skin, the burning embers of fire as it flickers up into the smoke filled sky-- 

Shuichi didn't realise that he was already dressed, sinking into the comfort his new and fresh clothes provided. He almost thought that his clothes would rub up against his wounds and irritate them, before noting that his muscle memory already covered that for him. He picked at the bandages around his left arm before rolling the hoodie sleeve back down. Dressed head to toe in black, baggy clothing, he made his way out with his dirty clothes in hand. It was a normal routine for him. Shuichi threw them in the washer and loaded it up, letting it run. He turned to exit before the piercing sound of the door squeaking open filled his ears. 

"Hey Shuichi! I'm back!" Gruff with age, Shuichi felt himself relax. He walked down, nodding a 'hello' to his uncle who placed his coat upon the coat rack. Shuichi noted the bag his uncle held, and tilted his head to the side in a questioning manner. Following his gaze, his uncle realised what he was silently asking. "Oh this? The guys at the station gave it to me since I worked so late the other day. Here. They gave me two." He reached inside and brought out... a bowl? No, no. It wasn't a bowl. "They said it was supposed to be a 'good luck charm' or something. What do you think?" Shimmering setting sun light reflected upon the silver that lined the base of a brand new cap that was now presented to the young boy. 

He reached out, grabbing hold of it and started to feel it. Leather, but soft to the touch. The inside was slightly fluffy, yet the outside hard. The brim felt solid but flexible. He brought his hand around the side, tracing a finger down the small silver plate that lined the side, just above a thin stripe of white. Black in colour, but decorated with two thin lines of white going from rim to back along the right side. He carefully placed the cap on his head, feeling it encase his hair in a soft case. It felt comfortable upon his head. Comfortable and light. Shuichi let it sit there for a few moments as he soaked in the comfort it provided before reaching back up and removing it. He looked up at his uncle who had moved to the kitchen to boil some water. He turned and faced Shuichi with a soft smile on his face as he beckoned him over with a wave of his hand. 

"Say, do you like it? It's quite nice, isn't it?' He smiled, watching Shuichi nod in agreement as he sat down at the island counter. "That's good. Well, it's all yours now. Here, some coffee." He placed a mug down in front of the younger boy before taking a seat across from him. He took a sip from his own mug before his eyes caught onto a sliver of white hidden beneath the black of the hoodie sleeve. "Shuichi. Were you hurt again?" He asked, voice soft but gruff, laced with concern. Shuichi followed his eyes and pulled his sleeve back, showing the bandaged that covered his arm. His uncle sighed, gently taking Shuichi's arm into his hands. "My boy, I wish you'd let me help you. You shouldn't have to deal with this on your own. Please, let me do something about this." 

Shuichi shook his head, trying not to feel guilty from the look his uncle gave him. He wanted to speak, wanted to vent, wanted to express everything and anything and just... let it go. But he couldn't. It's not that he refused to speak or express his emotions. He just couldn't. He's tried and tried and tried and _tried_ some more, but it never did anything. So he did all he could. Shake his head and try to force his mind to ignore the look of displeasure, concern and sadness his uncle had expressed. Yet he didn't protest as his uncle unwrapped his bandaged arm, letting the now dirtied cloth fall flat onto the countertop as his uncle inspected the wounds. Gentle fingers brushed across the top of the blue and black bruises, barely grazing the deep cuts that he'd received just hours before. His uncle slowly let go, resting Shuichi's arm on the bench as he got up. He started to rummage around in one of the many cupboards below the sink. 

"You should come to me when this happens. You know I want to help you. You can trust me. I just want you to open up to me about these things." His voice sounded sorrowful, as sorrowful as his expression. It twisted Shuichi's gut in every-which-way as his heart sank to his feet. His head tilted down, facing the countertop as his uncle returned with the first aid kit. "Here. Let me rewrap it for you." Shuichi held up his battered arm, pain erupting through his veins, however, he held it still in the air as his uncle took out a fresh roll of bandages. Slow, careful hands delicately wrapped the new white cloth around his arm, loose enough to breathe, but tight enough to stay put. "Just remember to clean and rewrap it before you go to bed, alright?" As Shuichi nodded in affirmation, his uncle took out a file from under his arm, surprising Shuichi as to how he didn't notice it before. "I have a new case that I've been working on. I was hoping for a little help from you." 

Shuichi felt a small smile grace his face as he nodded slowly. They quickly finished their drinks and placed them in the sink to be washed up later. His uncle grabbed the file and headed around pass the stairs, stopping by a door that lay embedded in the staircase wall. He opened it up and stepped inside, the aroma of age-old books that only the best collectors held, a pinch of coffee from those late night ups, and the files upon files of cases solved years prior that provided his uncle with fond memories flooded his nose. He sat down at his dusty desk, placing the file down with an effort that sent waves of dust flying into the air. Waving the dust particles away, Shuichi stepped in and grabbed a seat beside his uncle. He looked down at the file his uncle had opened, skimming through the letters and words that encoded the page. His uncle passed him a page and a photo that came with it, letting the young detective search through. He took the page and photo, letting his eyes roam about in the deafening silence. The only thing to disturb the silence was the rustling of paper and clicking of keys. While it was deafening, it was also a place of comfort for Shuichi. 

Time ticked by, seconds, minutes, hours, he wasn't sure. But it didn't matter to him. He felt content. He was relaxed, and though he didn't express it, he felt happy. As his eyes roamed across the page, they suddenly connected the dots. Gaining his uncle's attention, after a few failed attempts, he pointed to the fourth passage and to the second. His uncle took the page and skimmed across both parts before Shuichi pointed to the photo in his hands. It seemed to connect in his uncle's brain as he suddenly jolted in his seat, startling Shuichi. "How did I not notice this before?! Thank you, Shuichi!" He quickly hugged the boy before hopping back into his seat and rapidly typing onto his computer. Hand motions becoming a blur, Shuichi's uncle made a quick and conclusive decisions about the facts now presented to him. "This is great! Finally, a lead! You really are amazing, Shuichi. That's my little detective for ya!" He let out a hearty laugh, patting Shuichi's head softly as he leaned back into his seat. 

Shuichi merely shook his head at the complement. He watched as his uncle finally put pen to paper as he wrote down this new found clue. Looking around, Shuichi found himself at a loss of what to do. His uncle seemed to notice his dilemma, and told him that he could go and that dinner would be ready in less then an hour. Nodding, the young detective left the study room and decided that he should finish up his homework before calling it a night. He glanced at the clock on his way up the stairs, mentally noting down that it was almost ten. His stomach growled, reminding him of how hungry he was. Trying to ignore his pangs of hunger, he climbed up the stairs to the slow rhythmic beating of his heart. The slow _thump, thump, thump_ of his heart sending signals to his brain to keep walking. But, like a wisp of breath drifting past his ear, the beating slowed to a halt, gone with the wind. 

_That... that wasn't normal. That wasn't good._ Jaw hanging slack, eyes widening, breath caught in his throat. Fingers reached up to claw and cl _aw and claw and-_

Blank. Void. Darkness. Nothingness. Only the dull throbbing of his head colliding with... with what? Did... did he fall? A panicked voice mumbled and grumbled, so loud yet so dull and quite and... and empty... He felt empty... But as his eyes fluttered to life once more, light filled his vision. Squinting, humming, wincing in pain, he was pulled from the clutches of the void into the warmth of his uncles arms. "Shuichi!" His voice reverberated through the quite room, only broken by the faint pitter patter of rain on the window. Wait... rain? When did that start? He shook his head ever so slightly, trying to focus on his uncle through fuzzy eyes. "You're awake! Oh thank god." Was he... worried? Why? "I thought I had lost you again." Again? Shuichi couldn't understand what he meant. He tried and tried, but his mind hurt too much to think any more. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?" He nodded his head very slowly, trying not to pass out again or hurt his head anymore then it already hurt. "Thank god. Alright then. We need to get you something to eat right now." 

Strong yet caring arms wrapped around Shuichi's thin and frail body, lifting him up and back to his feet. Wobbly, shaky, much like a new born calf, he, with the assistance of his uncle, made his way back down ever so slowly. Growling, rumbling, eating him from the inside out, his stomach pitifully echoed in the silence, begging to be fed something, anything. Stumbling into a seat, Shuichi slumped over and laid across the wooden table, eyes lazily trailing after his uncle as he hastily searched the fridge for the left over soup they had made just the night prior. He shoved it in the microwave with so much force that the young boy thought that the lid would go flying, however all was good as humming filled the silence. Just minutes later, he found himself sitting up in front of a steaming bowl of spiced pumpkin soup. Trembling fingers hesitantly gripped the handle of the spoon that his uncle passed to him. Tentative but careful, slowly gaining a minimalistic grip on his limbs once more. 

He could feel how his uncle relaxed beside him, and he felt his own body sag and sink and fall into relaxation as well. This was calm. This was nice. This is what he wanted his life to be. A simple, relaxing, calm life. Only when he felt his eyes dip once more did his brain remind him of the life that he actually lived. However, he couldn't pull away, and his head lulled back, eyes fluttering close and sleep claiming his consciousness. Mind numb, thoughts roaming, the black void claimed him once more, cold and unforgiving. Now far into the night, his uncle carried the sleeping boy back up to his room to rest in silence and peace, unaware of the nightmares and memories that plagued his mind. Though his expression remained calm and neutral, his mind screamed. He was alone in his cold, dark room, with only his mind to keep him company. A slow, crushing force that threatens to break him piece by piece. 

He felt trapped. 

He wanted to be freed. 

He wanted... 

Wanted... 

_To..._

**_̷ ~~B̷r̷e̷a̷k̷…̷~~_ **


	3. Falling Fragments

_Another day, another night._   
_Another break and crack of bones in a body so very light._   
_Visible upon first sight._   
_Not from a fight._   
_But from a beatdown--_   
_Leaving the victim’s breath so tight._

_They mocked him._   
_Laughed at him._   
_Beat him till he was black and blue--_   
_And drowning in his blood,_   
_But they continue to break him._   
_Ignoring the pain they dealt to him._

_Shards cast upon the floor._   
_There is no door._   
_No way to leave his core._   
_Without admitting what they saw._   
_The pain so great--_   
_But they left his blood to pour._

_Tainted ground._   
_Not a sound._   
_No voice—_   
_No choice,_   
_For he was bound._   
_Chained and shackled down._

_But to the boy…_

_It was just another day,_   
~~_Another night._ ~~

~=~=~=~=~=~=~ 

Huffing, puffing, he reached the end of the hallway. He skidded down the stairs, feet slipping out from under him as he tried to escape. The haunting sound of footsteps echoed out behind him as he scrambled down the steps. Desperate gasps of breath squeezed his burning lungs, turning into a cycle of breath and pain with each gasp of air he took in. Trembling limbs collapsed in, knees buckling and sending him tumbling down to the ground, hands flying to his face to protect it and to grab at his velvety black cap. Bile rose in his throat, but he choked it back down as he scrambled to get up. Lanky and thin, body so light and easy to move, but these factors seemed to only inhibit his movement. But he refused to cave. With the stride of a leap of faith, Shuichi found what little strength he still held and pushed himself up and forwards. Leaping to action, he barely dodged the pocket knife that stabbed into the ground just where he was mere milliseconds ago. 

_Shame it missed you_ , a sly, taunting voice that lay dormant in the back of his head whispered in his ear. Likes spiders down his spine, Shuichi shook his head to clear his mind of the voice. He wasn’t going to listen. He wasn’t going to give in. He’s already given into too much. Clenching fists, jaw set, eyes scanning everything and anything, he barrelled forward with newfound agility. Huh, maybe getting chased around actually helped him. Before that thought could progress into anything more, Shuichi had reached the lockers. A safe zone, situated in front of a few security cameras that seemed to almost blend into the wall. However, everyone knew they were there. Breathing a silent, short sigh of relief, he felt his shoulders sag as he opened up his locker. A red spider lily. A single lily lay atop the book he came to collect. It didn’t take an expert to know who put it there. But when? When did they get a chance to do so, or even get into his locker in the first place? 

He reached in and slowly grabbed the lily, hand pausing for a brief second before his fingers gently wrapped around the thin stem. It was a beautiful flower, and he didn’t want it to die just like that. Ignoring the laughter and taunting quips that rained down on him from behind, he took his book and closed the locker. He begun to head out, his mind chiming in with the fact that, once he was out of those gates, he would be chased once more. Shuichi’s legs burned just thinking about it, but he knew he’d have to run. So, without a second though, he clenched the book and lily in his hands and took off, barely registering the surprised and shocked remarks of his… _classmates_ behind him. But he didn't care. He just ran. Ran with the wind hammering against his pale face. It was only when he was halfway home did he register the fact that his uncle wouldn't be home for awhile, nor were his bullies behind him. Slowing to a halt, he turned his body and found himself face to face with a small, abandoned park. 

Huffing white puffs of air, Shuichi slowly walked over on silent feet and glanced around. Like a desolate and deserted mansion, everything was bleak and rusted with age. He placed his palm upon a pole that struggled to keep the swings held up, fingers scraping at the rust that fell off like age-old paint. Moving past the rickety swing set, Shuichi fell back onto a wooden bench, surprisingly more intact then everything else within the dull, colourless park. Placing his bag to the side, he set it up and placed the lily in the side pocket. He leaned back, watching his breath turn white as he faced the clouds that painted the sky grey, shrouding out the blue that hid above. He barely registered his hands gripping at his arms as frost started to bite at his exposed skin. Eyes drooped as he felt his body sink into the bench, relaxing in the cold weather however much it irritated his wounds. He willed his mind not to give into the fog of sleep that pulled at his head. To just be able to sit there in peace and rest up before he left to go back home. 

As he felt the small flakes of frost start to bite away at his very existence, he heard a voice. Soft, quiet, but loud enough for him to hear. "Are you alright?" It asked, a lacing of concern decorating the voice, confusing Shuichi greatly. Cracking an eye open, moon grey met murky green, wide with worry. Shuichi blinked once, twice, before he sat up to properly face the other boy who asked again. "Are you alright? You look cold." Shuichi nodded slowly, unsure of how to react to this new presence. The boy moved slowly but confidently, slinking into the bench beside the detective in training. Only then did he notice the navy uniform and gold emblem that indicated the boy's school. A rich kids school, as many called it. _You were supposed to go there. Such a shame._ That nagging voice was back, but he ignored it to focus on the words that left the boy's lips. "Wait, are you hurt?" He reached up, fingers lightly grazing over the bandages that covered Shuichi's right cheek, gently touching the white cloth. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking." 

Instead of replying, Shuichi turned his head down to his lap, letting his hands drop as he started to fiddle with his fingers. He felt awkward and wanted this one-sided interaction to end. Seeming to understand his unwillingness to respond, not that he could even if he tried, the boy leaned back and let out a sigh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pressure you. You don't have to reply if you don't want to." Shuichi glanced up through the shadow of his cap, gaze trained onto the boy. "Do you mind if I stay here?" Grey eyes widened ever so slightly as Shuichi leaned back, shaking his head. "Ah, good. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Setting sunlight peaked through the grey clouds, and Shuichi finally took in the person beside him. Messy, soft green hair framed an angular face. His skin was tanned, a huge contrast to Shuichi's pale skin, and long lashes circled green eyes. A silver chain hung low over his navy blazer, unbuttoned at the top and exposing the white shirt underneath. Dark grey pants held up loosely by a leather belt, and black sneakers completed the look. 

He noticed the diamond stud earring and the silver rings that enhanced the vibe of richness he gave off from mere presence alone. It made his shoulders tense ever so slightly. He turned to face the sky once more, watching the first sparks of snow slowly drift down. He reached up, hand pausing in the air as the snow melted onto his fingers, a drip of water rolling down and falling to the icy ground below. More started to fall as he brought his arm back, filling the air with white specks and dots. "Ah. It's snowing." The boy mumbled, more so to himself, but Shuichi still heard it. "I thought it wasn't supposed to snow until tomorrow. What a pleasant surprise." He laughed lightly, voice carefree and warm. Shuichi felt himself nodding along, subconsciously reaching up to pull his cap down slightly to hide his face. He should leave. He tugged at his bag as he stood up on shaky legs, hoisting it over his shoulder and onto his back. The boy watched his movements and nodded to the young detective with a quiet, "see ya." Shuichi merely nodded back before his muscle memory kicked in and took him down the cracked pavement. 

It was... weird. He felt self-conscious, awkward, nervous and insecure, yet he also felt relaxed and calm in he boy's presence. He couldn't pinpoint why though. That was the first time he's ever see the guy, much less interacted with him, if he could even call _that_ an interaction. He huffed out a sigh, pulling at his black blazer as the falling snow melted around him. It was cold, freezing even, however much his body heat warmed him. Fingers clutched at the rough fabric, almost clawing at it as they trembled and shook. Everything looked colourless and dull to him as he walked, only the bright red petals of the spider lily reminding him of the colourful world he'd left many years ago. The red seemed to mock him in more ways then one, the threat of death lingering close by. 

He just wanted to get home. 

~=~=~=~=~=~=~ 

The boy showed up again. If he were to be honest, Shuichi wasn't sure why he had returned to the park. He just felt compelled to go back. He let his feet take him away, hands gripping at his arms once more as he felt the bruises bloom underneath his blazer's sleeves. And before he knew it, he found himself seated at the bench once more, the snow falling down around him. He grabbed his cap and pulled it down over his eyes so he could rest, before the sound of footsteps crunching in the fresh snow grabbed his attention. Turning his head, Shuichi found himself looking up at the same boy from the day prior. The green haired boy smiled and waved at him, making his way over to the bench and sitting down. He placed his bag beside him as he leaned back, taking in a breath of fresh air. They sat there in peaceful silence, just watching the snow flutter down around them. It was calming to Shuichi. They sat in silence for god knows how long, but neither of them cared. It barely even occurred to the two that they didn't even know each other. But they didn't mind that. 

However, the boy finally decided to break the silence and introduce himself to Shuichi. "I never introduced myself to you. My name is Amami Rantaro. I would say it’s nice to meet you, but I don’t think that really works here.” He chuckled slightly, a hand reaching up to scratch at his neck. Shuichi wasn’t sure what to do. He couldn’t exactly _verbally_ respond, but he needed to in some way, shape or form. So he did the only thing he could. He brought his hands up to his chest as he started to sign. Well, more like finger spell. That quickly grabbed Rantaro’s attention. He watched Shuichi’s fingers nervously spell out his name, seeming to stutter and shake as nerves racked his trembling body. “Sign language…” he almost missed Rantaro’s words, though he felt it only made things worse. “So you’re name is Saihara Shuichi, huh? That’s a nice name.” That definitely caught Shuichi off guard. 

Catching on to his surprise, Rantaro continued to speak. “Ah, sorry. Sometimes I say things without thinking. But it really is a nice name. And I just want to clarify before I make a bigger fool of myself, but, are you mute?” Slightly shocked, Shuichi could only nod in response. “That makes more sense now. Man, now that makes me look insensitive.” Ever then quick one to disagree, the young detective started to shake his head and wave his hands, almost making his cap fly off. Rantaro seemed surprise by the sudden action, if not even a bit amused too. “You don’t think so?” He questioned, though they both already knew the answer. Even so, Shuichi shook his head once more, the rush of blood making his head dizzy. Rantaro just chuckled at his actions, his smile widening ever so slightly as he did. Noticing this, Shuichi leaned back having realised that he had moved much closer to Rantaro then be was before. 

“That would explain the silence. Not that I mind. It’s always nice to just sit in silence like this. It’s calming, don’t ya think?” Though Rantaro’s head faced the sky, his eyes had flickered back down to Shuichi as he nodded. “I never really get a chance to do this.” Shuichi turned to him and started to sign without thinking, new found confidence that wasn’t there before now surfacing. “Because I’m rich? You picked up on that, ey? Though, I wouldn’t say _rich_ , rich. But you’re partially right. The rest had to do with my friends, especially one little gremlin. He doesn’t even go to my school.” Shuichi silently chuckled at that, feeling more and more relaxed as Rantaro talked. He made a ‘go on’ motion with his hands, and Rantaro let out a sigh. “I met him at an arcade one day, and he just suddenly declared me as ‘big bro Rantaro’ out of no where. And just like that, I was stuck with him. Now he’s latched onto me like a koala.” 

_How amusing_. Shuichi ignored the voice’s obvious sarcasm as he focused on Rantaro’s little story. “There wasn’t much I could really do, so I kinda took him under my wing, in a weird way. He always says that when he’s not with me, he’s with his ‘super secret evil organisation of ten thousand members’ or whatever he goes on about.” He spoke in an exaggerated manner, but his voice was still warm and happy. “But he’s obviously lying. I don’t mind it too much though, but he can get pretty annoying at times.” At that, Shuichi broke his focus to sign a response. “Yeah, you’re right. It does go for all friends at some point in time. But for him, it’s like his whole purpose is to be annoying. But I guess that comes with having no one to consider a friend.” Now that caught Shuichi’s attention. “Don’t get me wrong. He has people he can go to. They’re like family to him. I just mean it in the more, ‘just friends’ kinda way, ya know?” 

Even though he didn’t know this kid, Shuichi felt like he could understand where he was coming from. He, for one, only has his uncle, and no one at his school wanted to interact with him outside of beating him. So he felt like he could kind of understand this unknown kid. “Even though he’s a major pain in the ass, he’s still a great and dear friend to me. And I wouldn't change that for the world." It was genuine. His smile, the way he talked, the crinkle in his eyes as they shone in the sunlight that peaked through the snow. It was all genuine. But like the snap of a twig, Rantaro suddenly jolted out of his tranced like state and turned to Shuichi, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry about that. You probably don't want to hear me blabber on about this guy. I mean, you don't even know him!" Shuichi, however, was interested in Rantaro's little stories and wanted to know more. He signed this out to the green haired boy, watching a surprised look merge across his face. 

"You want to know more about my friends?" Shuichi nodded as he carefully slid a little closer to Rantaro. "Well, I guess I can tell you about... my robot friend." Now _that_ made Shuichi curious. It was almost as if sparkles had started to shine in his eyes as he leaned in, silently begging Rantaro to go on. Rantaro chuckled at his enthusiasm as he opened his mouth to continue on with his little story. 

This slowly became a daily occurrence between the two, without either of them noticing. 

~=~=~=~=~=~=~ 

Over the next few weeks, the two would meet up at that park. It was a nice and more secluded area that people didn't visit, so they found it to be the perfect place. Shuichi felt a smile begin to tug at his lips as he walked, a slight limp in his leg, but it did nothing to hinder him. He was excited to know what they'd talk about today. Well, more like what Rantaro would talk about. With a slight pep in his step, Shuichi made his way over to the park before stopping dead in his tracks. Echoing laughter returned, drumming against his ears. Breath caught in throat, heart pounding against his chest, threatening to burst a hole straight through and break out. He stepped forwards, paused, then stepped again. His legs shook uncontrollably, feet softly crunching in the snow that painted the cracked ground white. His arms hung limply by his sides, feeling heavy and weighing him down. But he continued to move forwards until he stood in front of the bench, gazing down upon what lay there. 

A single red spider lily. 

He felt blood run down his cheek from where he was cut right before he managed to escape the hellhole called school. It dripped down his cheek to his chin, piling up before dropping down. Red mingled with red, the blood rolling down the lily's petals and onto the oak wood, staining it. His mind started to swirl, thoughts upon thoughts piling up and caving in, digging into his head much like thorns in his sides. He reached down, gulping down the lump in his dry and parched throat. His fingers tangled themselves around the stem, slowly picking it up and bringing it up to his face. His other hand reached up to fiddle with the petals, the soft feeling seeping through his fingertips. His lips formed a thin line, eyes softening as he just stared at the lily. He barely felt the blood on his cheek as it dripped down, colouring the snow red. His mind became foggy, drifting in the realms of truth and lies, life and death. 

A sudden pressure placed itself onto his shoulder, jolting him from his mind. Head whipping to the side, he slowly made note that Rantaro was here as the boy reached down to grab the lily from Shuichi’s gentle grip. He studied it, a frown replacing his usual charismatic smile he adorned on their meetups. “It’s sad that such a beautiful flower has such a sombre meaning behind it.” He murmured, and Shuichi almost missed it. “Do you know who brought it here?” His gaze settled upon Shuichi who nodded his head, slow but sure. Rantaro sighed, sitting down on the bench and patting the spot beside him. Following after him, Shuichi sat down and faced him as he opened his mouth once more. “I didn’t want to say anything before, but I noticed the lily you had with you the first time we met.” Shuichi blinked in surprise, before realisation dawned on him. “Was it the same people who placed this one?” Rantaro’s voice was as gentle as ever, and Shuichi almost felt compelled to answer him. 

Almost. 

Instead, his fingers curled in and turned his hands into fists, though he felt that was answer enough. Rantaro merely sighed, letting the flower fall from his hands onto the snow below. But before Shuichi could react, Rantaro’s foot stomped down and crushed it. The young detective reached out to stop him, but Rantaro held out his arm, halting Shuichi. He continued to crush the lily until the petals were barely recognisable. Shuichi wanted to ask him why, but Rantaro cut off his sign before he could even start. "Don't let these things get to you, alright?" He pointedly looked at Shuichi, as if daring him to challenge him. Shuichi felt his will power waver as he leaned back into the seat, pressing his lips together. He watched through the shadow of his cap as Rantaro reached over, taking one of Shuichi’s hands into his. He felt a pair of fingers lift up his chin, eyes watching as the other boy wiped away the blood that coated his cheek, a sad look in Rantaro’s eyes. 

“Listen to me, Shuichi.” His voice was strong, determined and calm, unlike his face that drowned in sadness, worry and concern. “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but you can trust me. Please.” That word. Trust. Oh how Shuichi came to loath that word. Yet hearing it from Rantaro, he felt like he could confide in him. He physically wanted to, but his consciousness held him back from doing so. “You don’t have to say what’s happening, or express how you feel. But let me help you. Even if it’s with the smallest things. I want to help you as your friend.” Rantaro would hate to admit how much Shuichi’s look of surprise hurt him. But he continued on. “I don’t know what’s happening to you, but I’ll be here for you, alright?” He stared directly into Shuichi’s eyes, watching the glint in his moon grey orbs shift and change as he nodded. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. Knowing nothing didn’t help Rantaro, but he didn’t want to pressure the wounded boy any more then he already had. 

He leaned back with a small sigh, before remembering what he had brought with him. Reaching into his bag, he noticed Shuichi watching him with a curious expression, head tilted slightly to the side much like a puppy. Silently chuckling at the thought, he brought out two bars from his bag, presenting them to Shuichi. “Take one.” He tried to refuse, but Rantaro was set on giving him one. “Nope. I got them for a reason. So take one. One is dark chocolate, the other is caramel. I don’t care which one you take, but take one.” After a few moments of struggling, Shuichi gave in and took the dark chocolate bar, nodding his head in thanks to Rantaro who only smiled in response. "Good. Now eat up. It's not going to eat itself." Shuichi peeled the wrapper off and took a small bite, and Rantaro didn't know whether to be relieved or not. But he didn't voice this concern as he shoved the bar in his mouth, silencing himself before he could speak. It became quiet. Too quiet. 

Rantaro glanced over at Shuichi, watching as he stared down at the bar in his pale hands with a look he just couldn't place. "Have you..." he hesitated, watching Shuichi tilt his head up to face him. "Have you not had chocolate before?" It surprised himself that he asked, but surprised Shuichi more. The detective placed the bar on his lap as he started to sign, explaining that it's been years since he'd last had any. "Actually?" Shuichi nodded, fingers nervously pinching at the bar's wrapper as his eyes roamed about on the ground. "Wow. That's... surprising, to say the least. Man, I can't imagine a life without sugar, considering the little gremlin practically lives off it." He murmured the last part more to himself, but Shuichi still caught it. "Lets change that!" Startling Shuichi, Rantaro suddenly sat up straight and faced the other with a new found seriousness lacing his face.

"You," he pointed to Shuichi who could only gulp nervously. "You are coming on a sugar run with me. No buts, no refusing. You're coming with." Shuichi didn't know what to do. In all honesty, it sounded like fun. But he's never really been allowed too much sugar in his diet. And he wasn't sure if he could even go, let alone stomach it. But Rantaro wasn't giving him any options. "Look. Talk to your uncle tonight and get this sorted. If you can, we'll meet up here tomorrow and head off to the mall. So, you with me, or are you with me?" Rantaro's smile was back and brighter then ever, though it still held a serious undertone to it. He extended his hand to Shuichi, eyes practically begging him to take it and accept his offer. And without much hesitation, besides a mental battle between his brain and gut, Shuichi took the offered hand. Rantaro leaped up and dragged Shuichi up with him, their chocolate bars falling to the snow. "Awesome. Don't sweat it, 'kay? It'll be fun. Promise." 

Shuichi only nodded and hoped that he'd be alright. 


	4. Muddled Mind

“You showed up! I thought you might’ve skipped out for a minute there.” Already regretting his decision to come, Shuichi found himself face to face with Rantaro. He felt self-conscious, wearing a black hoodie with ‘MCR’ on the front, baggy black pants, black sneakers and his new black cap. Rantaro, however, wore a long sleeved, light and dark blue striped top, with dark grey pants held up by a black belt, along with a pair of blue sneakers. Nodding with slight hesitation, he let Rantaro grab his wrist and tug him along the pathway. Car engines roared in the distance, chattering and laughing between friends walking down the street and chirping birds flying high above filled the air. It was a different kind of peacefulness that Shuichi didn’t know. But he didn’t mind it. His eyes wandered about as Rantaro continued to drag him down to the bustling mall. “Also, I forgot to mention this earlier, but the gremlin is going to be there. He insisted on coming, since it’s a sugar run.” Shuichi nodded, though he knew Rantaro couldn’t see it. “He’s a bit clingy and likes to surprise hug people. So, just a warning in advance, he’s probably gonna jump on you.” 

That didn’t help Shuichi’s confidence, though he doubts he ever had any in the first place. Rantaro has spoken about this kid many times, and Shuichi felt as if he has already met the guy. Oma Kokichi is his name, and it’s a name that he’s sure to remember, if what Rantaro’s said about him is true. He was nervous to meet such a hyperactive kid, but he tried to steel his nerves and keep going. The guy was supposedly easily excitable, a compulsive liar, and overall, an annoying brat, but he wouldn’t know until he actually met him. So, with a final glance back into the dull, outside world, they entered the colourful mall filled to the brim with hundreds of people. Some from his school, some from Rantaro’s. Some from schools he hasn’t even heard of. It was almost surreal looking around at the amount of strangers all cramped in this one place. Sure, he didn’t know everyone at his school, but at least they weren’t all packed into one space for hours at a time, outside of assemblies. He blinked, mind trying to catch up with the fact that he had no clue what was happening. His head lulled around as Rantaro lead him away to somewhere only he knows. 

He suddenly halted, and Shuichi ran into Rantaro’s back. Reaching up with his free hand to rub his forehead, he glanced around Rantaro to see why he had stopped. His mouth formed an ‘o’ shape as he stared up at the store that stood tall in all its sugary glory. Candylicious. His throat burned at the thought of all that sugar. But he didn’t have time to protest as Rantaro’s grip on his wrist tightened ever so slightly as he dragged Shuichi inside. Regretting all his life choices that lead up to this moment, Shuichi could only stare at the horrific amount of candy that lined every square inch of the store. Kids were screaming, cheering, shouting, laughing, grabbing at everything they could. And there, in the middle of it all, was the head of purple hair they’d come to find. Their purple hair curled up at the ends, standing out against their white hoodie with rainbow sleeves. They wore light purple pants that draped across their ankles, covering the tops of their rainbow converse shoes. 

Yep. That was Kokichi, no doubt about it. Rantaro, once spotting the short, pale boy, bounded up to him to greet him, Shuichi helplessly stumbling after him. “Hey Kokichi!” Hearing his name, the boy turned around with sparkles dancing in his bright purple eyes as he leaped up, grabbing onto Rantaro and hugging him tightly. “Big bro Rantaro!” He exclaimed, somehow louder then the screams that encased the rather large store. “You made it! And you say you don’t love me.” Shuichi watched as Rantaro sighed in what seemed to be defeat, dropping his wrist as he focused his attention on the gremlin that clung to him. “That’s a lie. I’ve never said that. Also, before you do anything… weird, this is Shuichi.” He dropped Kokichi back to the ground and beckoned Shuichi over with a wave. Suddenly feeling more exposed, he tentatively stepped forwards with a small wave. But before he had a chance to do anything, Kokichi was up in his face. “So _you’re_ the guy Rantaro’s been talking about!” 

Shuichi glanced away from the bouncing boy and towards Rantaro, his eyes practically begging for him to help, but Rantaro merely shook his head. Looking back down, Kokichi continued. “I’ve heard _sooo_ much about you, Shuichi! Is it true that you’re a detective?” What? That came out of nowhere. Did Rantaro tell him about that? But Kokichi merely laughed. “Nishishi! You should look at your face! You’re so totally confused! Anyway, I am Oma Kokichi. I’m the Ultimate Supreme Leader of over ten thousand members! And should you do anything wrong by me, they’ll kill you!” Now Shuichi was even more confused then before, and more sympathetic for Rantaro as well. “Buuuut, maybe that’s a lie? Who knows! But enough about that. Let’s get some candy!” And there he went, running off into the crowd and disappearing before the other boys could stop him. As soon as he was gone, Shuichi turned back to Rantaro who was shaking his head in exasperation. He caught Shuichi’s look and waved him over as he started to walk off. 

“Now you know what he’s like. And before you ask, yes, he’s always like this.” Rantaro sighed, sounding more and more exhausted as he spoke. “Just don’t mind his questions. They’re always random and all over the place, no matter what. Anyway.” He suddenly turned to Shuichi with a new fire in his eyes. “We need some candy! Get whatever you want, cuz we’re gonna be here for awhile.” Shuichi went to ask him about Kokichi, but he was cut short as Rantaro also disappeared. And just like that, he was alone. Alone in an overcrowded store with no idea as to what to do. With a short sigh, he begun to look around, eyeing all the sickly sweet chocolate and sour coated lollies that covered the entire store. Even the ground and roof was decorated in candy, albeit, inedible candy, but the point still stands. He looked left, just chocolate. To the right, sour candy. In front, a wall of bars of every kind he could ever think of. It was all just too much. His gut churned, mouth drying up and he pulled his cap down, trying to cover his eyes. He felt completely overwhelmed by the amount of sugar. He felt lost. 

~=~=~=~=~=~=~

Rantaro felt bad and guilty about leaving Shuichi behind, but he knew that he wouldn’t look around any other way. Clenching his teeth, he searched and searched, trying to find the bitter sweets that he hoped the other liked, judging by his choice the day prior. ‘If it’s bitter that he’s after, then I’ll find some as compensation.’ So with his goal in mind, he almost about started to run around the store, but alas he couldn’t as too many kids blocked the way. His ears rung as he walked about, eyes searching each and every row of colourful, delectable candy. He almost passed the section he loved. ‘Sour worms, caramel bars, and… they have tootsie rolls this time! Yes! Oh! I might as well grab some smarties while I’m here.’ He grabbed as much as he could, before his mind reminded him of what he was going to do. Quickly grabbing one of the thousands of plastic bags that were wrapped up across the many poles that lined the store, he stuffed the candy and took off once more in search of bitter sweets. 

Left, right, up, down, he grabbed everything he could think of and more. But he didn’t overload it. He carried two bags with him, one for himself and the other for Shuichi. He was about to walk down the last aisle before another sweet caught his eye. ‘Hmm… would Shuichi like this? I mean, I might as well get it just in case, right?’ So without a second thought, he walked over to the spicy selection and grabbed a handful of spiced dark chocolate bars. He stuffed them into the bag for Shuichi and headed off to grab some more candy for himself. It was a sugar run after all. He started walking down before he felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck and legs around his waist. Stabilising himself, he reached up and ruffled the perpetrator’s hair, earning a small giggle in reply. “Hey Kokichi. Seems you found me first.” It was only then that he felt the new weight that the shorter boy had. “How many bags did you get? Cuz that it seriously heavy man.” 

“How many? Nishishi! Guess, and _maybe_ I’ll tell you if you’re right.” Rantaro merely rolled his eyes in return as he counted the mounds of plastic that rubbed against his sides. “I count about six. Is that right?” Kokichi pouted as he hopped off, revealing the six bags that weighed his arms down. But his pout quickly shaped back up into a huge, splitting grin. “You’re right again, avocado man!” Ignoring the look Rantaro gave him, he continued to speak. “You are getting really good at this. I might have to change my strategy. Hmm.” He tapped his chin in mock thought as Rantaro turned around to go and find the detective. He took not even two steps before Kokichi grabbed onto him once more. "Hey! Hey! Where you going? Are you leaving me? A-and after e-everything I did f-for you!" Tears welled up in his eyes as he started to exaggeratedly cry, once again, somehow louder then the rest of the store. However, no one was bothered enough to look, too transfixed on the amount of candy they could afford. 

Rantaro was thankful for that factor as he reached out and placed his hand on the 'crying' boy's head, effectively shutting him up. "Jeez. Calm down will ya? I'm heading off to find Shuichi." The liar's face turned neutral, tears gone within seconds before breaking into a grin. "Him? Oh, my guys have already taken care of him! He's long gone now!" Rantaro just stared at him with a deadpan expression, completely done with the other. "Oh fiiiiine. You're no fun. He's two aisles down, struggling with something. Anywho, Ima buy all this and eat it within the night!" With a laugh and skip, Kokichi was gone in the direction of the entrance where the poor employees waited. Now alone once more, Rantaro decided to check if Kokichi was telling the truth and headed back down the two aisles. And he was pleasantly surprised to say the least. But that surprise didn't last long as he walked up to the trembling boy. He placed a hand softly upon his shoulder, removing it hastily as Shuichi jumped and whipped around. 

His eyes were wide and fearful, crushing Rantaro under guilt and worry as he slowly reached out to grab Shuichi’s arm gently. “Hey. Are you okay?” He spoke softly and slowly, eyes locked onto the others as he trembled and shook like a leaf in the wind. Shuichi took a nervous gulp of air as he shook his head, clumsily reaching up with his free hand to pull at his cap. Rantaro’s guilt only tightened as he gently tugged on Shuichi’s arm, pulling the fearful boy closer. “I’m sorry about leaving you. I didn’t know this would happen. I’m so sorry.” He wrapped his other arm around Shuichi’s shoulders and started to make his way through the crowd, keeping a tight but gentle grip on the other. The bags around his arms clattered into just about everything, but he was too focused on leaving to care. And after a few minutes of pushing past the screaming children, they made their way to the front of the store. Kokichi stood at the entrance bouncing on his toes and stuffing his face, looking around with excited eyes. 

Purple landed on green and the excited ball of purple all but skipped over to the pair. His ever present grin turned grim as his eyes shifted over to the shaking detective, a very new tint of concern lacing his face. “Could you look after him for a sec? I’ll be right back.” Kokichi mock saluted Rantaro in affirmation before grabbing hold of Shuichi’s hands. This startled him, but he didn’t protest as he was taken out of the suffocating store. Now outside, he felt like he could finally breathe and took in a lungful of air to calm his racing heart. “You okay now?” He turned to look at Kokichi, surprised at his soft tone. He took a moment to ponder before nodding his head, finally feeling the shake in his legs die down. “Good!” And just like that, the wide grin was back on Kokichi’s face. “Now then! Before big bro gets back, let’s go hide somewhere! C’mon, c’mon!” Without a second thought, Kokichi latched onto Shuichi and started dragging him through the store, the six bags of candy he held swinging around wildly. 

Shuichi couldn’t stop himself from being dragged along, so he just let it happen. And the further they went from the store, the more and more sorry he felt for Rantaro. However, his thoughts were interrupted as Kokichi skidded around a clothing store, quickly grabbing the candy that tried to escape. Finally able to gain back the ability to run for himself, he pulled Kokichi back to his feet and started to run. Noticing this, the purple boy started to bellow out a laugh, chasing after the other on quick legs, however short they may be. They sped past H&M, a coffee shop — however tempting it was — and past a giant teddy bear advertising who knows what. It was thrilling, terrifying, and over way too soon by the time they reached the exit. Huffing and puffing, Shuichi caught his breath back and leaned against the mall’s wall, staring up past his cap at the dark blue sky illuminated by thousands of little stars. Kokichi stood next to him, small huffs of white breath leaving his lips as they stood side by side, watching the stars twinkle. 

“It’s really pretty, isn’t it?” Kokichi murmured, barely loud enough for Shuichi to hear. He nodded in agreement, watching his breath swirl up and fade away into nothingness. “If I were to be honest for once in my miserable life, I’d say I’d love to stare at these stars forever.” Shuichi glanced down at the shorter boy, a curious glint in his eyes. Catching his look, Kokichi suddenly perked up, a grin splitting across his round face. “Buuut, that’s still a lie, nishishi! I’d want to stay with D.I.C.E. forever! But maybe that’s also a lie? So which is it? Guess you’ll never know!” He continued to laugh before stuffing his face once more. The amount of sugar he was ingesting made Shuichi cringe in disgust, but he supposed that’s a part of what made the other boy tick. Turning his attention back to the sky, Shuichi felt his nerves die away in the slight winter breeze that whispered across his face. It ruffled the hair that stuck out from his cap, and he watched it sway left and right as he sighed in content. 

But the peace didn’t last as a breathless Rantaro rushed out, plastic bags on either wrist exploding out at his sides as he came to a sudden halt. His head whipped around and he stalked up to them, looking more annoyed and exhausted then anything. “Why the hell did you run out here?” His voice was firm, but still held its usual gentleness. Kokichi merely grinned, still eating his candy. Rantaro turned to Shuichi who signed out a response, sheepish and a bit guilty. Sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose, Rantaro let his tensed body relax. “Jeez you two. I’d expect this from Kokichi, but you too Shuichi? Man, I should’ve known not to leave you with the little gremlin.” His lips quirked up into a smile either way as he looked at the two. “You’re gonna be the deaths of me, I just know it. Anyway, here.” He passed one of the bags to Shuichi who hesitantly took it. “I got you some bitter candy, since you don’t seem to fond of the more sugary things. Oh, and some spicy candy as well. I thought you might like it.” 

Shuichi started to shake his head in protest before Rantaro stopped him. “Think of it as an apology for leaving you in there alone.” With no other options presenting themselves, Shuichi gave in and took the bag, nodding his head in thanks. He slipped his arm through the handles just as Kokichi clapped his hands together. “Alright! Now let’s go to the park and have some fun!” He went to march off but was cut short as both Rantaro and Shuichi grabbed his shoulders. “I don’t think so, Kokichi. It’s about time to head back home. And no whining. You got your candy, so let’s go.” Kokichi pouted, but that was the extent of his actions, thankfully. They turned to walk off, leaving the light the mall provided into the dim street lights that lined the road. They walked in relative silence, besides the shuffling of plastic as Kokichi ate. “Oh! I just had an idea!” Kokichi suddenly stopped, lollipop between his fingers. Rantaro quirked an eyebrow at that as they came to a halt. 

“We should have a sleepover!” He cheered, voice as cheery as ever. “Sleepover?” Rantaro questioned, facing the purple ball of energy with a curious look in his eyes. “Why? And at whose house? This is kinda a last minute thing, ya realise.” Kokichi hummed in thought, stepping ahead of the two as he stuck the lollipop back in his mouth. Rantaro didn’t know what to do or say as he watched the shorter boy hop around on his feet, leaving prints in the snow. He suddenly halted and whipped around, pointing the lollipop at Shuichi. “Let’s go to Shuichi’s house!” Said boy jolted a bit in surprise, before hastily starting to sign out a response. “Why his home? And you’ve known each other for like, not even five hours yet. You don’t even know his uncle! I don’t even know his uncle yet.” As much as they tried to protest, they couldn’t seem to convince the laughing gremlin who insisted on holding the sleepover. “You have too many sisters! We can’t go to yours!” Shuichi just let out a silent sigh as he pulled out his cracked phone from his pants pocket, sending a quick message to his uncle. 

Noticing this, Rantaro was quick to speak up. “Are you actually allowing this?” Against his better judgement, he nodded, feeling his phone buzz in his hands with a reply. Checking the message, he found that his uncle had agreed to the idea, though he would be too busy with other things to cater for them. Placing his phone back in his pocket, he faced the two and started to sign. Kokichi turned to Rantaro, who merely shook his head weakly. “He said that we can sta-“ Kokichi interrupted him with a huge cheer, yelling “YAY!!” into the sky as he jumped with glee. “This is gonna be fun!” He grabbed their hands and started to pull with so much force that they almost fell flat onto their faces. However, their legs caught up with them as Kokichi raced off, the thought never even occurring to him that he might be going the wrong way. Which he was. Shuichi had to dig his feet into the piling snow to halt Kokichi in his tracks before they all wound up lost. Turning to him, Kokichi tilted his head to one side in a questioning manner before Shuichi pointed down a different street. 

“I totally knew that.” Though it was an obvious lie, the two let him drag them down the new path. They passed by the abandoned park, everything covered in a layer of sparkling snow, and down the familiar trail that Shuichi knew all too well. He could already smell the burning wood in the fireplace, the aroma of late-night coffee filling the air. He was home. He felt himself relax as he was pulled along the pathway. He instantly pictured his uncle hunched over in his office, steaming coffee by his side and keyboard keys clicking in as he typed. He almost missed the turn they had to make. He quickly steered Kokichi in the right direction, the little light left fading out into the cover of the birch trees that lined the snow covered ground. But there in the distance his home stood, dark against the white, frosty ground. The hand holding his tightened its grip for a second before releasing. As Kokichi and Rantaro fell behind, Shuichi stepped up to the door and reached into his pockets, fiddling around for his keys.

Finding them, he pulled out the chain and grabbed the correct key, jamming it into the small lock in the door. It turned and clicked, and he pulled the key back as he opened the door. Turning to the two behind him, he waved them over as he walked in. The familiar rush of warmth and comfort the house gave him washed over him as he breathed in the scent of freshly ground coffee. Kicking his shoes off, he walked to the kitchen and placed his bag of candy on the bench, looking up and watching the two others gaze around in wonder. They suddenly seemed to snap out of their dazed like states, however, in favour of following Shuichi’s lead. They removed their shoes and dumped their bags unceremoniously onto the bench before Kokichi took off. Rantaro had reached out to stop him, but his attempt was futile as Kokichi was already out of reach. He turned to Shuichi with an apologetic look, which the other returned with a small smile. He just hoped Kokichi wouldn’t disturb his uncle who was surely busy with a brand new case.

But he didn’t need to worry as said purple blur raced back to them, jumping around on quick feet. “Where’s your room? Where, where?” His excitement bled through every word and movement he made, hands curled into fists and eyes wide with awe. Shuichi silently chuckled at that as he took a step forwards, leading the two up the staircase and down to his room. He opened the door and let the two in, closing it shut behind him. “Awe man. You’re room is boring! Where’d you hide everything?” Cocking his head to the side, Shuichi faced the pouting boy in confusion. But it didn’t last long as Kokichi decided to face-plant directly onto the single black bed. “Comfy.” Though it was muffled, Shuichi could still pick up on his word as the boy practically sank into the bed. “C’mon Kokichi. This isn’t your home. Get up.” Rantaro’s efforts were wasted as Kokichi ignored him in favour of pushing his face further into the black pillow, lifting up a limp arm to wave him away. 

Shuichi turned to Rantaro to sign, but that seemed to only make the other sigh in defeat and exhaustion. “You need to have _some_ authority over him here. It is your house after all.” Shuichi merely shrugged as he pulled out a wheely chair from his small desk and sat down. Rantaro moved Kokichi’s legs and followed suit, the bed dipping down a bit under new the weight. “Woah. It is really comfy. Where’d you get it from?” Shuichi honestly didn’t know, as his uncle had it for as long as he could remember. He signed out as much to Rantaro who deflated a bit in sadness. “Damn. And I’d really like one too.” Rantaro laid back and let his body sink into the mattress as a thought occurred to Shuichi. He stood up and quietly left, heading down the hall to the storage closet. Opening it up, he reached in a pulled out a rather large blow-up mattress, big enough for two people. Grabbing some sheets and pillows as well, he closed the closet and headed back into his room, only to find Kokichi searching through his drawers and Rantaro trying to stop him. 

“C’mon, let me go! I need to know what he’s hiding!” Kokichi was trying to claw his way out of Rantaro’s hold, even threatening to bite him, but Rantaro didn’t budge. “Not happening. And I doubt he’s hiding anything. So let it go!” He ripped the other away from the desk, but they fell back to the ground, taking a collection of files, books and pens with them. Thudding against the ground, the two struggled to get up from the mess they caused. Only then did they look up to see Shuichi standing in the doorway with a bewildered expression, the items in his hands dropping to the floor. “I uh…” Neither boy on the ground knew what to say, or even if they could say anything. But Shuichi answered for them by reaching out to them. Taking a hand each, they were pulled to their feet before looking down at the mess they had caused. “I… I’m sorry Shuichi. We’ll clean this up.” Rantaro bowed his head as he pulled Kokichi down to help him. However, the detective thought otherwise as he kneeled down to help, hands gripping around a multitude of pens and pencils. 

They collected the items in relative silence, besides the shuffling of paper and clicking of pens. It took a few minutes, but everything was finally back in place. As Shuichi started to set up the blow-up mattress, Rantaro spoke up, though more-so to Kokichi. "Why did you even start snooping in the first place?" Looking up, Shuichi watched at Kokichi turned on his heel and faced away from the taller of the three and start to whistle. Rantaro crossed his arms over his chest as he faced the other. Feeling the burning gaze upon his back, Kokichi huffed out a sigh and turned back to Rantaro, rolling his eyes. "Fiiiiine. I wanted to know if he was hiding anything. No one has a room this clean and nice. There could be something interesting here and we wouldn't even know!" He threw his hands in the air as if to emphasise his point. However, as the two fell into bickering, Shuichi finished setting up the bed and headed over to his desk, sifting through the many items that resided inside. He grabbed hold of the item he was looking for and pulled it out, the bickering pair becoming silent as he did so. 

They peered over his shoulders and down at the navy book that now lay on the clean desk. He turned to Rantaro and began to sign, and Kokichi watched with curiosity, being unable to understand sign. “A personal art book?” He sounded confused, but Shuichi nodded in confirmation. “Whaa? Is that really it? Awe man. And here I thought that you’d have so much more!” Pouting, Kokichi flopped back into the blow-up mattress and buried his face into a pillow. Shaking his head, Rantaro spoke up. “Well, it’s getting pretty late. We should probably get some sleep.” Shuichi nodded, feeling a yawn try and break free as he waddled over to his bed, sitting down as Rantaro flicked off the lights. Slipping under the covers, Shuichi felt sleep claw at his mind as his eyes grew heavy. Sinking into the mattress, he let his eyes close and his breath even out, sleep taking over and drowning him in the never ending darkness that was his mind, sinking deeper and deeper and deeper. 

Till there was nothing but a cold, black void. 


	5. Burning Breakout

Sunlight rained down through the few clouds that painted the sky. Rantaro released a sigh as he stretched his arms high above his head, feeling his limbs pop and crack, releasing the tension in his muscles. He cracked his neck and back as he reached his classroom, swinging his backpack down along his right arm. He slung it over to his table in the back row and slipped into his seat, feeling his body sink into the hard plastic-chair, but he paid it no mind. The idle chatter of his classmates echoed around his ears, yet he couldn’t be bothered to take it in. He just leaned back, kicked up his feet on the desk and placed his arms behind his head, his green eyes fluttering close. He lay back in peaceful content before it was interrupted by three guys he could barely call friends, let alone acquaintances. "Yo, Rantaro! What's up man?" He cracked an eye open and looked over, barely recognising the short bright blue hair of someone whose name he couldn't remember, not that he cared. "Nothin' much. Just chillaxing till something interesting happens." He let out a yawn as the generic brunette of the group sat on the table. 

"C'mon man. Why bother going to class then? Do you even pay attention to what's being taught?" He leaned down, invading Rantaro's personal space as he propped back up, seating himself correctly. "Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. Depends on what's happening." The last guy, only memorable by his shoulder length dyed silver and red hair chuckled at that. "Yeah? I bet you can get away with ditching class. You're rich! You're among the top five richest people in this academy!" The other two agreed, nodding enthusiastically. Rantaro merely sighed at their antics. "I may be, but I still want to get _some_ sort of education here." Blue hair burst out laughing at that. "Dude! You can live off your parents' cash! You're set for life! Why bother?" As Rantaro shrugged, the door burst open as the new intern teacher walked in, an aura of cheeriness enveloping him. "Whelp, you better get going. See ya." He waved a hand as the three walked away, eyes trailing down to the teacher who had started roll call. He leaned back, responding with a simple "here" as his name was called. 

He grabbed out his phone from his pocket and began to mess around, opening up a few games and completing some levels. The teacher either didn't notice or didn't care, but either worked for him. He left the game he was on and started sending some messages through the group chat between him, Kokichi and Keebo, chuckling quietly at their quick retorts. Deciding that he should focus now rather then never, he pocketed his phone after sending one final message and focused on the lesson. Just simple geography. Reaching into his bag, Rantaro pulled out a notebook and pen and started to jot down random notes, drawing a few doodles in the margins as he listened into what was being said. "Rantaro. What is the capital of Greece and for how long has it been around?" He perked up ever so slightly as he opened his mouth, answer already in mind. "It's Athens and it's been around for approximately 3,400 years." The intern nodded and turned his attention to another student, letting Rantaro focus back on his little doodles that he drew. He supposed that Kokichi was rubbing off on him a little too much. 

Alternatively, and more likely, he was just getting increasingly bored the more the teacher droned on. He couldn’t blame the guy. He was nice and actually helped students with their grades, but that didn’t stop the lesson from being boring as all hell. He had felt himself start to nod off when the bell suddenly rang. He jolted up and checked the time, seeing that the lesson was over, though a lot quicker then he had expected it to be. With a quick shrug to himself, Rantaro hoisted his bag over his right shoulder and stood up, merging into the crowd of peers as they left. Leaving the building, he found his usual spot outside under a large oak tree and sat down under the shade. He pulled out his phone and decided to start a three way FaceTime with his friends as he pulled out his food and started eating, waiting for the call to connect. It didn’t take long, however, as white hair filled the screen, meaning that Keebo had picked up. He pulled back, bright blue eyes standing out against his pale robotic skin, a black line trailing from both eyes down to his chin. He sported a small smile, the top of a blue hoodie peeking out from the bottom of the screen. He had opened his mouth to speak when Kokichi entered the call, screaming at the top of his lungs. 

Rantaro couldn’t even get a word out as Kokichi kept screaming, but he wasn’t sure if it was for joy or he was just hyped up on sugar. ‘Probably both,’ his mind unhelpfully supplied, but he just shook his head in exasperation “RANTARO!” Finally an audible word left his screaming, but it just left said boy with more questions then answers. “KEEBOY! DO I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU!” Neither were amused, but waited for Kokichi to continue. “D.I.C.E is coming over! You guys can finally be recruited!” His screaming toned down, and Rantaro thought he heard someone yelling in the background, but Kokichi paid it no mind, so he didn’t question it. But he did question Kokichi’s supposed ‘news’. “How many times have I said it now? I’m not joining D.I.C.E. I’d rather not be associated with a group of malicious pranking clowns' thanks.” Keebo nodded in agreement, face stern and set. Kokichi pouted, his usual exaggerated tears welling up in his wide purple eyes as he sniffled. “Kokichi. We’re not going to fall for your fake crying.” Keebo was the main voice of reason in the trio, acting more like a mother to stop Kokichi from doing, well, a lot of things. Groaning as the tears faded, Kokichi threw his arms up as he caved.

“You’re no fun! Maybe I should start calling you Keemum. No wait, that sounds horrible. Give me some time, ima think of something.” He started to tap his chin and stare off into space, leaving Rantaro and Keebo to converse. “So, how are things going with you, Keebo? Anything new happen?” Seemingly startled by the sudden question, Keebo sputtered as he focused back into Rantaro. “H-huh? Oh! Right! I um… the professor made some corrections to my arm. He tweaked it a bit, so now it’s much more efficient!” He brought up his right arm, a black line appearing along the side where the arm broke in two. Shining silver coated the metal as Keebo turned it, looking a lot nicer and well taken care of. “Nice. It’s looking a whole lot better then last time. What even happened anyway? It looked like charred toast or whatever.” Bringing his arm back down, Keebo scratched at his cheek, a nervous look in his bright blue eyes. “Well, you see… we were testing out a new function that was supposed to produce a light, but…” he trailed off, looking to the side with a strained chuckle. Clicking his tongue, Rantaro nodded in understanding. “Riiight. Well, at least it’s better now.” The other nodded, his smile returning. 

“I got it!” The sudden shout from Kokichi caught the two off guard, eliciting a laugh from the liar. “Nishishi! I totally scared you two! But! I figured out a name for Keeboy!” A very quiet “here we go again” was barely heard from Keebo as Kokichi spoke. “He will now be known as, drum roll please!” He tapped the wood of the desk he sat at before dramatically pausing for effect. “Ke-“ Keebo quickly kicked him from the call before he could finish. “Let’s wait for him to calm down, shall we? I- oh, wait a second.” Keebo looked off screen and called out in reply to something before turning back to the phone. “Sorry Rantaro. I gotta go. The professor is calling for me. We can talk later, okay?” Nodding, they said their goodbyes and the call ended, the phone shutting off and turning black. Rantaro pocketed his phone as he finished off his food, waiting for the bell to blare out any minute. And as it did, he grabbed his bag and re-entered the school, ready to slack off once more. He felt a wave of tiredness sweep over him as he entered his classroom, taking his seat in the back and grabbing his notebook and pen. It was the usual routine for him as the lesson started up. Physics. Not the best, but not the worst by his standards. 

The rest of the day went by the same, and as he almost succumbed to boredom, the last bell rung out loud and clear against all the groans of “finally” that were released. Standing up, Rantaro cracked his neck and let out a relieved sigh. He left to head to the lockers, arms rising above his head to crack and release. He felt a buzz in his right pocket as he brought his arms back down, notifying him of a new message. He continued to walk to the lockers as he pulled out his phone, looking at the message he had received from Keebo. He opened it up and started to read, reaching his locker and punching in his combination. He paused opening the locker, eyes widening as he stared down at the message. "W-what? Is this... real? This... it's from Keebo, and I doubt he'd lie to me. But this is insane!" He sent a couple of texts back and pocketed his phone, swinging his bag around and opening it up. He hastily shoved the locker's items into his bag and closed the locker. He zipped the bag up and pulled it back over his shoulder as he leaped to action. Rushing out, Rantaro sped past the many students that lined the pathway and skidded out of the gates, reaching for his phone as it buzzed once more. 

_——————————_

_SentientRoomba: Tanamura Academy caught on fire!_   
_It’s been going on for almost an hour now, and there’s police everywhere!_

_AvocadoMan: Wait, what?!  
Seriously?! _   
_How the hell did this happen?!_

_SentientRoomba: No one’s sure of what happened as of right now._   
_But there’s still people inside!  
They're trying to rescue them as we speak. _

_JohnMulaney: No way!!!_   
_Wait, but isn’t that Shuichi’s school?_

_AvocadoMan: Fuck, it is!_   
_I’m heading over._

_SentientRoomba: Stay safe!_

_JohnMulaney: Tell Shu I said hi!_

_——————————_

Clutching the phone and clenching his teeth, Rantaro raced down the pavement with newfound adrenaline. He slipped his phone back into his pocket as he scrambled around a corner, bag flying out at his side. He could already smell the smoke that now encased the air, and the ever-increasing heat billowing out on his face. Panic started to set in as the rising orange and red flames sparked in the distance. He felt his legs buckled beneath him, but he just stumbled along, regaining his footing and speeding ahead. His eyes began to sting due to the newfound heat and smoke as he got closer and closer, begging to whatever deity that's out there that it was fine. That Shuichi was fine. He may have only known Shuichi for about a few months now, but he already felt close to the boy and has become constantly worried about him due to the ever-increasing wounds that painted his skin. He just hoped that he was fine, but a deeper part of his gut had flipped and told him otherwise, tearing him apart inside. Against the protests of his legs, he pushed on, rushing past groups of people who had also started to gather. He felt his legs start to give way and he slowed down, now outside the burning ablaze that was the Tanamura Academy. 

Breathing heavily, he stepped up to the front where police officers, firefighters, paramedics and teachers stood around. Most of the teachers were pushing the students away from the flames and trying to calm them down as they counted them, while others talked with the officers on standby. Rantaro strained an ear to listen in as his eyes watched the flames dance about the burning building, licking at the dense foliage covered by layers upon layers of cold snow. Firefighters tried to hose down the intense flames, but it barely changed the ferocity of the fire. But as the teachers and officers talked, he felt his heart sink. "There are still students inside! We counted all but three!" Rantaro swiftly looked around the site, scanning the frightful faces of all the students and desperately checking for Shuichi among them. But with each face he dismissed, his distress only grew and grew until he couldn't take it anymore. He ran up to one of the teachers and asked, almost shouting at the poor teacher. "Who is still inside? Do you know?" He tried to control his voice, but he was finding it difficult as dread weighed heavy upon his heart. Noticing his distress, the teacher let out a silent sigh as she turned to face him directly. 

She seemed a bit hesitant at first, but still complied. "There's still three students inside. Kozai Yakeru, Shimesu Oki, and Saihara Shuichi. Some firefighters have already gone inside to rescue them, so you don't need to worry about them. They'll be alright." While she tried to reassure him, Rantaro’s panic only increased. He faced the crumbling academy once more as shouting erupted from inside. But from the students or firefighters, he couldn’t tell. His brain argued with his body that was tempted to rush inside, but he knew that’d only cause more trouble then good. So against the will of his body, he stalked off to the side and stood by, eyes wide and fearful as they watched the building crack and fizzle with each ember that burned up the sky. He grabbed his phone and sent out a few messages to the group chat, trying not to let his panic take over as he typed. Hitting send, he turned his gaze up, just as a sickening crack of wood rung out and the roof started to cave. The weight was too much and the structure struggled to withhold it. Screams pierced the air and officers started to push everyone back, trying to stay calm and keep the peace. Dread set in and Rantaro knew that he could do nothing but watch and hope for the best. 

_——————————_

_AvocadoMan: Shuichi is still inside!_   
_As well as two others._   
_The firefighters are trying to rescue them._

_SentientRoomba: Oh no!_   
_That’s not good!_

_JohnMulaney: Fuck!  
Shu’s still inside?! _

_SentientRoomba: How’s the building holding out?  
Do you know how long it’ll last? _

_JohnMulaney: Rantaro?_

_AvocadoMan: It’s not good.  
Wait-   
HOLY SHIT!!   
_ _The roof just caved!_

_JohnMulaney: Oh fuck!  
Seriously?! _

_SentientRoomba: Can they still get out?_

_AvocadoMan: For now yes.  
But we don’t know how long the structure will last! _

_JohnMulaney: Hold, hold, hold!_

_SentientRoomba: We just have to wait and and hope nothing happens._

_JohnMulaney: I DONT WANNA WAIT!!  
I wanna see Shu right now!!! _

_SentientRoomba: He’ll get out!_   
_Just be patient!_

_JohnMulaney: No!!_

_AvocadoMan: THE ROOF JUST FELL IN!!!_

_——————————_

Rantaro pulled his phone away as the roof fell into the burning ablaze, showering the ground in burnt splinters and shattered glass. “Everybody! Back away from the fire! It’s not safe!” Officers ran about, commanding the students and observers to push back further. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Rantaro turned to see an officer pulling him back as chucks of wood rained down from above. Ignoring the buzzing in his hand, a cry clogged his throat as tears pricked his eyes. ‘He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine. Be fine. Be fine. Be fine!’ He mind chanted, becoming louder and louder and louder till it was all he could hear. Not even the shrill voices of the teachers trying and failing to calm their panicked students, nor the commands of the officers met his ears. It all became muffled white noise as he stared in horror. Throat parched and dry, lungs filling with smoke, tears in his eyes. It was all he could do to keep standing. He couldn’t even imagine the agony going through the minds of the three trapped inside, struggling to breathe or even move about. Fear clung to him with the searing heat. And as he watched with frightful eyes, he could only manage a single word through the lump in his throat.

“Shuichi!” 

~=~=~=~=~=~=~ 

Coughing and wheezing, pain blossomed across his aching back. Moon-grey eyes cracked open a sliver, gazing up through a hazy vision at the frightened faces of two classmates. They had reached down, grabbing tightly onto his skinny, bony arms and pulled. The hulking weight on his back did nothing but stop them, crushing him under its unbearable weight. “It’s no use! He won’t budge!” The voice was muffled, but he still heard it. “And it’s getting hotter by the second! We-“ he was interrupted by a series of coughs, the smoke filling all their lungs. “We have to go!” _And after all you did for them. How pitiful._ The voice taunted and sneered, laughing at Shuichi's pathetic state. “And leave him here?” A voice of mild reason spoke out, the owner still trying to pull him out. “He-he saved us! We’d still be s-stuck back there if it weren’t for him! We would be d-dead!” Angry, afraid, exhausted, pained, desperate. They all wanted, wished that they could leave, but there was a limit to what they could do. "I know that! But what can we do? He's stuck! It's either we leave, or we all die here!" They bickered, trying to reason with each other, but it was cut short as pillars fell, crashing through the wood. 

Shuichi was finding it harder and harder to breathe, the weight of the large wooden pillar pressing down upon his back only increasing with each second passed. Searing through his uniform, the fire cutting through his skin. He hopelessly clawed at the ground, trying to pull himself out as coughs racked his body. It was becoming harder and harder to stay conscious, foggy eyes watching the two others reach back down to try and free him again. But nothing was working. They felt the floor shift, threatening to break below them and feed them to the fire. The two standing began to scream, feeling the ground start to splinter and crack. "W-we're gonna f-f-fall!" Shuichi couldn't identify which one said that, but he was in too much pain to even try to. With one last attempt, he summoned as much strength as he could and tried to push himself out, wriggling his torso to try and slip through. _Crack_. His eyes went wide, and he ever so slowly tilted his head down, staring down at his side. He gulped. A large shape poked out against his skin, almost piercing through. With a short, ghastly breath that consisted mostly of smoke, he gave one more heave. 

Seeing his attempts, the two terrified boys grabbed his arms, heaving with all their weight as they tugged and tugged and tugged. Splinting wood cracked and split, the pillar breaking into thousands of pieces as they finally heaved Shuichi out and up. They pulled away from the pillar as the floor dropped below it, crashing down and taking out some of the foundational pillars that sent the building toppling. It shifted and shook under the broken weight and the boys made a run for it. The two hooked their arms around Shuichi and sprinted off, searching for the stairs that they hoped led to safety. But as they stepped foot onto the step, they heard a shout from below. Hope sparked in them as they hobbled down, trying to respond between coughing and gasping for air. The voice’s got closer and closer, and their hope grew with it until they saw a different light flash in the distance at the bottom of the stairs. “We’re-“ they struggled to speak through the smoke. “We’re over here!” With a rush of strength suddenly appearing, they pushed forwards. Shuichi kicked off the ground and, with the help of the two on either side of him, they were making headway. They were slow for sure, but it didn’t dampen their newfound hope. 

“W-we’re saved! We’re saved!” The one of his left started to chant, pushing on and pulling the other two with him. "They're here for us!" A sudden thudding of footsteps echoed out ahead of the now hopeful trio, a group of firefighters bursting through the rubble and ash. Strength fading, the trio fell forwards into the arms of the firefighters who heaved them up and turned to make their way out. Now cradled in their arms, Shuichi felt his consciousness slip and waver, the pain exploding from his back and ribs pulsing and eating away at him. But he couldn't let his consciousness fade. With every little bit of willpower he still somehow had, he forced his tired, heavy eyes to stay open, if even only the tiniest bit. They stung and ached with each step his carrier took, but his back overpowered the ache tenfold. "Try to stay awake. We'll be out as soon as we can." The firefighters reassured the trio as they were carried down the floors, dodging debris, falling wood and concrete chunks. It was painful, and Shuichi didn't know how much longer he could stay awake for. It was slowly taking its toll on him, and the shake that trembled across his body with each step taken sent spikes of pain down his broken ribs. 

But as they hurried along, the building shifted as more wood, concrete and glass showered them from above. The firefighters doubled back, just in time to watch part of the roof cave in and destroy the floor where they once stood. But the sudden jolt only left Shuichi in more pain, the bone poking his side tearing through his skin. He choked out a harsh gasp, voice trying and failing to scream. Hot liquid started dripping down his exposed bone, yet he could only stare at the flames as they danced around them. Voices turned muffled against pounding ears, the only thing he could hear being his ragged breathing and thundering heart. He tried to ground himself, to focus on the rushed footsteps of his carrier, but his aching head made it increasingly difficult. Even so, battling against his mind, he forced himself to focus. His vision was hazy, black creeping in and overshadowing the little light he could still see. Yet he continued to focus on the footsteps carrying him away. Carrying him to safety. With that thought, he closed his eyes, darkness taking over his mind and body as he slumped in his carrier's arms. He barely heard the panicked mumbling of the firefighter, his focus shifting between their footsteps and his beating heart. 

_Are you really going to give up now? After all this. After everything that's happened. This is what breaks you?_ The voice whispered in his ears, taunting, tearing. _How sad. How so very sad. I guess you really_ are _like your parents', huh?_ That struck a chord within him. Although he couldn't take hold of his body, he reached for something deeper. _Oh? Fighting back, are we?_ The voice began to laugh, filling his head as if trying to break his focus and let him succumb. _How curious. The moment I mention your pathetic parents, you finally decided to fight back. If you can even call this fighting back._ Shuichi tried with all the might he could muster to shut the voice out. To ignore every quip that whispered in his ear. _Man, you really are a strange one, ya know? Hehe. Very much like your father. Oh! I betcha didn't know this, but..._ It hushed down, feeling as if it were leaning in close. _I was once one with your father._ Shuichi paused, heart skipping a beat or two as he tried to process the voice's statement. _Hahaha! Look at you! Oh man, this is why I attached to you. To think that you turned out so much like him! Amazing!_ It continued to laugh and laugh and laugh, striking daggers into Shuichi's head with each pulsating cackle.

 _I really struck gold with you two. When he died, I thought I'd be bored for the rest of eternity! But then I saw what happened to you. The look in your eyes. It was the same as his. You're like the reincarnation of him! Just so much better! Well, better to me, of course. You're life is still shit, but I'm living for it._ Shuichi wanted to speak, wanted to respond to it, but everything was holding him back. _So, what're you gonna do? C'mon. Fight. Attack me. Berate me. Bring me down to hell with you!_ He wanted to. He wanted to do that so badly. He wanted to claw away at his brain and forcibly remove the voice from his head. He wanted to throw it away and finally be rid of it. He wanted to... he wanted to be free of it. _Awe, look at you. If only your feelings mattered here. But too bad. I'm the one in control now. Wait, no, that's wrong. I've always been in control. You're only just finding out now. I'm keeping you alive to entertain myself. Without me, you would've died a long time ago. Should've been that time back in April. You know the one I'm talking about. Two years after your parents' deaths. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. That memory you've so desperately tried to push away. But you won't escape it. You can't escape it. You can only ignore it for so long until you break._


	6. Dawning Daybreak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D.I.C.E. Members -  
> https://www.wattpad.com/1012043385-art-book-dr-d-i-c-e
> 
> D.I.C.E. Logo -  
> https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/danganronpa/images/8/86/DICE_Logo.png/revision/latest?cb=20170227114113

Crunching leaves under white boots, moonlight shining down upon curled purple hair. Letting out a sigh, Kokichi flopped back into a pile of leaves. Shooting out around him, the golden maple leaves fluttered to the ground, the air stilling and becoming quiet. He stared up at the sky between the branches that casted shadows upon him. The stars twinkled in the clear sky, not a cloud to be seen. He heard the sound of footsteps coming closer, and the hum of a familiar tune reached his ears. Not bothering to look up, he waited for the new figure to speak. “Hey Boss. Are you okay?” A soft female voice, dancing across the calm of the night, asked. There was a tinge of concern, but Kokichi chose to ignore it in favour of tilting his head up, looking up at the figure clad in white. The signature clown mask with pink cheeks and a purple star over the left eye stared back at him, short pink hair peeking out from behind it. She wore a puffy white jacket over her uniform, a checker scarf wrapped snuggly around her neck, a snowy dress that reached above her knees, thigh high socks that disappeared underneath and stretched down to a pair of short boots. She had requested the socks and boots specifically, and Kokichi mentally approved the completed look. 

With a breath of air, he hoisted himself up to his feet and brushed the Autumn leaves off his white uniform and hair. “I’m perfectly fine! What gave you the impression that I wasn’t? Was I staring at the moon too hard? Or maybe it was my entrancing face? Nishishi! I must be too cute for anyone to look at! You’ll go blind!” He bounced on his toes with a wide smile on his face, giggling and jumping around. Even though his companion’s face was covered, he could tell how flustered she suddenly became. “W-what?! Boss, please! Please be serious for once!” She tried to force it away, but it just made Kokichi’s grin widen even more. “Awe. Is little miss Spades blushing under that mask?” He teased, leaning in closer with a smug glint in his eyes. Spades pushed him back, shaking her head violently, pink locks flying about around the mask. “B-Boss!” Shoving her masked face in her hands, she groaned, trying to clear her head and ignore the laughter from the short boy. “Come on. Diamonds is getting worried. He wants you to come back now.” Becoming serious, Spades looked back up at Kokichi, soft lilac eyes staring through the mask. 

Kokichi’s happy-go-lucky energy died down as he slumped over, a pout forming on his round face. “But I wanna mope around a bit more. I can’t do that around you guys!” He flailed his arms about vehemently, whining and begging to stay for just a little while longer. Spades could only sigh in disbelief, but felt herself giving in. “Alright, fine. You can stay a bit longer-“ cheers cut her off as Kokichi danced around, arms in the air. “But!” The cheers stopped and Kokichi slowly turned back to her, arms coming down as an unsure tint crossed his eyes. “You have to be back in ten minutes, alright? Diamonds is already worried enough. And now I have to tell him that you’ll be coming back even later. Just…” she let out another sigh. “Just come back soon. Please." The sudden tone change gave Kokichi whiplash, and he could only stare at her for a few moments. He blinked once, twice, before he slowly shook his head. "I'll come with. But don't expect me to be so lenient next time!" He walked past Spades who stood in shock at the change in mind. "C'mon! Are you coming or not?" She jolted out of her tranced-like state and turned to follow, chasing after Kokichi who had gone on ahead, a slight pep in his step and arms held behind his head. 

The walk was short and silent, but neither paid any mind to it. Leaves slowly fell around them as they reached a small, two story building nestled behind the towering city, a white van situated outside. It was a place they referred to as one of their many bases scattered around and far away from the city Kokichi called home. Reaching the worn down wooden door, he raised his foot and kicked it open, announcing his arrival with a loud, "we're baaack!" As Spades tried to berate him for his entrance, three figures rushed out from the right and jumped on him, wrapping their arms around him as they toppled over. "Hearts! Jack! Ace!" He breathlessly called their names, slowly being crushed under their combined weight. Their arms tightened around him, and he had to physically push them back before they finally released. He gulped in a lungful of oxygen, half-heartedly glaring at the three who gave him sheepish looks. "Man. Are you trying to kill me? How could you do such a thing! And after all I've done for you all." He dramatically collapsed back to the ground, left hand over his eyes and right grasping at his chest. The three merely shook their heads at his antics and stood up, Jack lending his hand to Kokichi who happily took it. Hoisting him back to his feet, they started to drag him further into the base. 

They entered the lounge room where another four people sat. Kokichi mentally noted that Queen was missing but decided to focus on one in particular. Short, sky blue hair framed a pale square-ish face, blue eyes staring back at purple with a small frown. He wore the group’s signature white uniform, straight, multicoloured buttoned long sleeves and long but breathable pants that lead into tight boots. Before Kokichi could talk, Diamonds let out a short sigh. "Where the hell did you go? You know how worried we get when you're gone for so long." He patted the spot next to him on the grey lounge, reaching over with his other hand to the glass coffee table to grab a cup of freshly brewed chai tea. With a huff and sag of his shoulders, Kokichi dragged his body over and collapsed into the cushions next to Diamonds who merely sipped his tea. "I wasn't out for that long." He grumbled with a pout, leaning his elbows on his knees, and squishing his face in his palms. Diamonds seemed taken aback by that comment and gazed at him incredulously. "Boss, are you serious? You were gone without a trace for over five hours, almost six! We didn't know what had happened to you!" Worry weighed heavy in his words, and it only made Kokichi feel guilty, not that he'd ever admit it aloud.

But it didn't stop him from leaning back into the cushions and forcing himself to be honest for once in his life, no matter how short lived it was. "I've just been thinking a lot recently. And wandering usually helps clear my mind. Though I wouldn't mind some candy with a side of pranks!" His mask had slipped back on almost instantly, and his friends - family - knew they couldn't pry too much. He was still their Boss after all, no matter how many times he's told them not to call him that. Even so, Jack ran over to another member and grabbed an item from their hands. He walked over to Kokichi and handed him the item before taking a seat next to him. Looking down, Kokichi recognised the signature item that every member of his group wore. The signature checker scarf. A little symbol for their 'secret organisation' they called D.I.C.E. A smile spread across his lips as he tied it around his neck, the familiar feeling of the cloth grounding him. As he felt his body relax with the new light pressure, idle chatter started up. He brought his arms back up behind his head and let himself take in the scene. All decked out in their white uniforms, masks hung up along the grey walls and all feeling relaxed in a familiar place. No matter where they were, Kokichi felt at home with this family he'd become a part of. 

Looking around at D.I.C.E's members, he noted the long chestnut brown twin drills of Ace as she sat down next to Clubs, a style she saved for eventful nights. This fact was only enhanced by the raven hair of Clubs being tied up in a manbun, his sparkling black eyes met the excited lime green of Ace's. The two contrasted each other greatly, Ace's pale skin against Clubs tanned only increasing the contrast, but they were a great fit together. Turning his attention away, he watched King flick his long ivy green hair over his shoulder, a resigned and distant look in his golden eyes. He usually adorned that look when coming up with escape plans, as he was their designated get-away driver. He absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around his index finger and stared at nothing, not even noticing Spades calling his name. Kokichi chuckled silently at that, already excited for the eventful night they were sure to have. He just remembered Jack's fire red hair being gelled up in pointed spikes and his glimmering amber eyes. Hearts wandered over and leaned over the back of the lounge to talk with Diamonds, his short silver locks falling over his snowy pale face adorned with soft but bright yellow eyes.

Turning to the last member in the room, and also the last to join the group, Kemps - they had decided to switch to a card game for this name - sat patiently on his phone. Shoulder length blond hair with a single strip of teal in the front curled around his face and upwards to his soft red eyes. A multitude of colourful clips kept his hair out of his face as he bobbed his head around, laughing quietly to himself as his eyes stayed glued to the screen. Everyone was present besides Queen, who Kokichi had no clue as to her whereabouts. Seeing his confusion, Jack cleared his throat. "Queen is finishing up the last minute details of the plan. She should be in the study." Nodding, Kokichi stretched his arms above his head before clapping his hands together. "Alright. It seems I've been left out of the loop on tonight's stunt. Sooo..." He looked around, seeing the grins on everyone's faces and felt a huge grin of his own split across his face. "Where are we striking?" Like a jolt of lightning, they all jumped up in excitement, bountiful amounts of energy expressing itself. “It’s a big one. We’re hitting the city hall!” Ace almost yelled as she was clouded in exhilaration. An audible gasp left Kokichi’s agape mouth as he stared at them all in awe. “No way…” he could barely speak, bewildered beyond belief.

“We’re actually hitting city hall?! No way!” He jumped up, eyes sparkling and grin splitting from ear to ear. “No way! No way! No way!” Ace and Clubs cheered and wrapped their arms around their small leader, practically screaming for joy. Diamonds, Kemps and King grabbed all their masks and handed them out as Jack, Spades and Hearts animatedly expressed their cheeriness. The little party was cut short, however, as Queen came in with a rather large white board on wheels. She turned it to face the nine energetic clowns, purple eyes trained and calculating. She tossed her long, straight red and black hair over her shoulder, a pointed look on her tanned face, contrasting the small smile she wore. A little white coat covered her shoulders and draped over her uniform down to her chest, a special addition she had decided to add. She cleared her throat before slamming her hand harshly on the white board, causing the others to jolt up. “We have one shot to do this. So no fucking around. You can have fun, but if we wanna do this, we gotta do this right!” They all knew what that meant, and their smiles turned to smirks as they pull on their masks.

Two yellow bolts across Jack’s eyes, blue and green squares across Diamonds’, a pentagon and circles over Ace’s, diamonds and a tear drop painted onto King’s, orange circles coloured Clubs', two purple diamond below Hearts' eyes, blue, green and purple hexagons made up Queen's, pink circles and blue, green, and rose squares decorated Kemps and, last but certainly not least, cyan and yellow triangles and a single yellow bolt created Kokichi's mask. They each pulled on a pair of snow-white gloves as Diamonds quickly retreated to the next room over, the rest quickly explaining the plan to Kokichi, or rather, Joker. Returning, Diamonds handed a black cloak and hat to Joker, completing his look as the leader of D.I.C.E. “Let’s move out!” King grabbed the keys to the van as the rest grabbed several bags full of the items needed to pull off their stunt. They all filed out, giddy and prepared for anything and everything. Thrilled and energetic, the ten threw themselves into the van as King started it up. He cracked his knuckles before gripping the wheel, boot heel slamming into the pedal. They shot forwards, grinding up the leaves on the ground as they raced out onto the city roads. The roads were empty in the dead of the night, making it the best setting to strike. With a sharp turn of the wheel, the van came skidding around a corner and down the street, the city hall appearing in the distance.

Wearing shared smirks, Joker and Hearts ripped open the van doors and leaped out, Clubs, Diamonds and Spades grabbing their supplies and following with Kemps, Ace, Queen and Jack at their heels. King spun into an alley to park as Joker picked the lock keeping them out. King joined them as Queen and Clubs kicked the doors open, a loud _thud_ echoing out into the empty halls. Snickering and pumped full of adrenaline, they reached into the bags they brought, pulling out a lot of cans of spray paint, confetti cannons, glitter glue and an abundance of colourful sticky notes. Nodding to each other, they split up, the echoing sounds of shaking spray cans and boots clacking against the marble floor becoming the only sound meeting their ears. With one last shake, Joker let rip the spray paint in the cans, blue and yellow colouring the smooth grey walls. Spades and Diamonds unleashed confetti cannon after confetti cannon, loud pops breaking the still air as colour decorated the ground, stairs, and paintings. Ace boosted Clubs up to a high window where he sprayed black paint in a large smiley face. King, Hearts and Queen unbottled all the contents of the glitter glue all over the ground, ranging from red, yellow, and green to blue, purple, and pink, some gold and black mixed in as well.

Kemps and Jack stuck various sticky notes with small phrases or little doodles inked on, even going as far as spelling out words with the notes themselves. Emptying his cans, Joker doubled back to the centre, witnessing the chaos his family had caused. A hearty laugh escaped his throat, eyes sparking behind the smiling clown mask. Kemps took a can from Ace and threw it back to him with a spare batch of sticky notes, running off with a mock salute. Catching the thrown items, Joker climbed the stairs to the second floor, finding King and Queen whooping down the halls with Hearts in the front, glitter glue flailing out behind them. "Don't forget to do the statue!" Diamonds called out from below, and the three cheered back in response. Cackling and jumping about, Joker raced in the opposite direction, slapping sticky notes everywhere and shaking the purple spray can ferociously. As he ran off, Hearts busted open another room where a giant golden statue of the city's greatest academy's headmaster stood in his full glory. Hope's Peak Academy's headmaster, Jin Kirigiri. The academy was held in great regard. Being able to get into the academy, or rather, university, was one of the greatest feats a person could achieve. Only the best of the best could get in. The elite if you will. But that didn't mean anything to the clowns.

They grabbed blue, yellow and neon pink glue and the most obnoxious green and orange spray paint they could, shaking them up violently. Queen let her cans rip, green exploding all over the statue in a huge burst. King ran around the statue, orange coating over the green and gold. As the cans sputtered out, Queen boosted Hearts up into the air as he uncapped a handful of glitter glue bottles. He turned them over and dumped the contents on the statue, glitter clinging to the paint and glue solidifying. Hearts landed with a graceful bow and Queen and King clapped as he stood back up. They turned to leave when Ace ran in with Clubs at her heels, twin drills bouncing about as they both halted. Clubs whistled, a gloved hand coming up to his masked eyes. "Nice. The statue's never looked better!" He joked, and the three culprits just hummed in delight. "Anyway, we gotta meet up with Joker in the lobby. Says he's got a little treat for us." Ace nodded vigorously, bouncing on her toes. “Let’s go!” She hopped up, jumping onto Clubs’ back with a loud cheer. He charged out with her down the hall, hopping down the stairs as Spades’ voice called out. “What is it, what is it, what is it?!” Her voice rung out in the empty lobby as Clubs landed next to her with a hard _thud_.

Diamonds perked up beside him, giving Ace a curious glance but decided not to ask. Kemps and Jack ran in, sticky notes flying around them in a flurry of colour. Hearts, Queen and King jumped down joining the rest when Joker cleared his throat and spoke up. "Since this went so well, there's something that I want to give you all." He waved his hand for them to follow as he left the city hall, coat flapping out behind him as he turned with a start. Interests peaked, the nine bounded after him, wondering what he could have. Turning into the alleyway where the van was parked, they halted as Joker stepped inside, searching around. With a loud "ah-ha!", he hopped out with a large grey bag in hand. "Now. Feast your eyes on these!" He tossed the bag to Diamonds who opened it, the rest peering over his shoulders to see. Gasps filled the air as they reached in, pulling out a bunch of water guns with their D.I.C.E names carved into them. "Hold on, there's more!" Diamonds reached back in, grabbing a bunch of keychains of their masks and their organisation's symbol. The keychains were handed around, Kemps, Ace and Jack attaching theirs to their water guns. King grabbed the bag from Diamonds and shook it upside down, revealing nothing else. Looking up, they watched as Joker brought his arms behind his head and leaned back against the van, a hidden smile spreading across his masked face.

"Well? What do you think?" He tilted his head to the side, motion lazy and carefree. Hearts was the first to move. He rushed up to Joker and tackled him into a hug, the small leader becoming engulfed in his arms. The rest soon followed, latching on and trapping Joker in a giant group hug. They hung off each other, using the van side to keep balance. “Alright! Alright! You can let go now.” Joker tried to push them back, but they refused and strengthened their hold instead. A long while passed, longer then they’d realised, but they didn’t care. They just wanted to stay there like that. They finally released and Joker pulled them into the van. Masks came off and King started it up. The engine roared to life, wheels spinning like crazy and launching them forwards a mile a second. “Cheers to a successful stunt!” Kokichi threw his hands in the air, turning around in the passenger seat to face his family who all yelled out in joy. “It’s about damn time we did this again! Man, it’s been way too long!” Jack and Kemps nodded in agreement, stretching their arms and legs as they did. “You can say that again.” Diamonds murmured, leaning back in his seat with a short sigh. “We’re definitely planning another one for next weekend. One hundo-percent.” Hearts decided with a large smile.

Spades jumped up at that, latching onto Hearts with a spark in her lilac eyes. “Yes, yes, yes!” She cheered, turning to Kokichi and staring at him hard. A smirk crossed his face, and a finger came up to his lips, head tilting back. “Not happening.” Spades and Hearts almost leaped out of their seats, staring at him with shocked expressions. But Kokichi merely laughed, the rest sighing at his antics. “Nishishi! It's a lie! Of course we’re going on another raid. Jeez. You take me so seriously!” Spades and Hearts let out relieved sighs, half-heartedly glaring at their laughing leader. The van slowed down slightly, cruising through the streets, lights blurring together outside. Queen suddenly piped up. "Why don't we go to the bridge tonight? Just to relax for a little while." Kokichi pondered it for a few moments before agreeing, lightly slapping King on the shoulder. "You heard the lady. To the bridge we go!" With a quick "roger that", King made a sharp left turn, swinging the van towards the bridge that led outside the city. Rolling up, the ten jumped out and walked over to the middle of the railing, looking over at the dark, streaming river and the reflective stars. Kokichi, Ace, Clubs, Spades, Kemps and Jack climbed onto the railing, swinging their legs over the edge as they seated themselves.

King rested his back against the railing, Queen, Diamonds and Hearts leaning over. A soft breeze brushed by, flowing through their hair, and lightly ruffling their uniforms. Stretching his arms above his head, Kokichi leaned back ever so slightly and kicked his legs against the railing. "This was a great idea. Another eventful and fun night!" His family all hummed in agreement, tensed shoulders sagging. "If only every night could be like this." Ace murmured, leaning her head against Clubs' shoulder. "That'd be awesome. But so much trouble." Jack laughed lightly, but his golden eyes shone. Silence enveloped them as they watched the small, calming ripples in the water. The shimmering moonlight reflected against the water, illuminating the current against the dead city and shining sky. Sighing in contempt, Kokichi closed his eyes and listened to the light whispering wind, quiet chattering between his family reaching him. It was a completely different feeling from just minutes prior, but a welcome one. "We should head back. Still need to get some sleep, ya know." Diamonds spoke up, a few groans leaving Ace, Clubs and Hearts. "But why...?" Hearts turned to Diamonds with a pout, puppy dog eyes wide and watering. 

However, Diamonds didn't give in. He, Queen and King pulled the six on the railing off, ignoring their protests to stay. "No can do. I am not waking up to your lazy asses in the morning again." His voice was gruff, but still held the soft tone he used with them. Kemps and Jack gave in quite quickly, leaning on each other to keep balance as sleep weighed on them. Queen took their hands and dragged them off, King and Diamonds dragging the protesting five off to follow. Hopping back in the van, King twisted in the key and drove off. Ace and Clubs continued to complain to an indifferent Diamonds as Kokichi whined from the front. It was all in good fun, even if there was some truth to it. King pulled up to the base and helped drag the others inside. Once in, they all headed up the stairs to the large bedroom. Five bunk beds occupied the room, each corresponding to their hair colour. Wardrobes and cabinets filled to the brim in casual clothing and games filled the rest of the space, a few gaming consoles hooked up to a tv resting in the corner. The ten changed into comfortable clothes and jumped into their beds, sinking into the covers. "Now I remember where all our money went." A muffled voice rose from Queen who huffed out a laugh, pushing her head into her pillow. 

"A great decision." Kokichi propped himself up on his elbows, grinning down from his bunk at Queen. She merely rolled her eyes, letting her body go limp in the bed. "Oh, right! Kemps. Did you remember to take off your binder?" He turned his head to said person who nodded in reply. "Good. I was gonna throw hands if you hadn't." Kemps snickered at that, earning a small whine from Kokichi. "What can _you_ do? We've all seen you try to fight, if you can even call it fighting." Jack barked out a laugh at that, the others being more subtle with their quiet chuckles. Kokichi let out a mock shocked gasp, falling back into his sheets. "You wound me! How could you? And I thought you loved me!" It was short lived as he sat back up, smiling wide and giggling. "Nishishi! Of course you love me. How can you not! Just look at me!" He cupped his face, squishing his cheeks and batting his eyelashes, before dropping the act as he laughed. Diamonds, who was below him, hit the bunk and spoke up in a strict, but caring tone. "C'mon. It's time to sleep now. I don't care if you're the Boss, we all need sleep." Surprisingly to him, Kokichi didn't protest and instead pulled the covering up to his chin, going quiet as he rolled over. 

The rest followed, tucking themselves in as King turned off the lights. They were plunged into darkness, the only sound coming from the shuffling of sheets. They settled down, feeling their bodies fall asleep first as their minds slowly succumbed. "Goodnight. Love you all." The murmur left Kokichi's lips, soft but loud enough to be heard. Their replies came together, "I love you all" mutters leaving the rest as they fully fell asleep one by one. The silence stretched on for a few moments before a soft voice broke it. "Hey Boss?" Spades' started, and Kokichi hummed in response. "Are you doing alright now?" He froze for a moment, voice catching in his throat. He gulped, feeling his body tense ever so slightly, but he found his voice. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. This really helped. It was fun." His voice was small and meek, but Spades still heard it. She hummed, as if pondering her next words. "If you ever need to, you can talk to us, alright? We're all here for you." Kokichi curled up, bringing his knees to his chest as he left out a shaky breath. "I know." His voice was starting to fade out, trailing off. "I know." He went silent, gripping his knees tightly with his hands. Noticing his discomfort, Spades decided to stop. "Goodnight Boss. Sleep well, 'kay?" He closed his eyes, releasing the breath he was holding. He sunk into the bed, trying to force himself to sleep. 

Winter was right around the corner once again. 


End file.
